Forced 34
by Mackiecam
Summary: The Comstock Street Slayers have been forcing witnesses to recant statements and police officers to lose evidence. Morelli is on the case - but he needs Stephanie's and Rangeman's help to find the evidence needed to bring the guilty to justice. Definitely a babe. I'm going to try to post daily, barring unseen life events.
1. Chapter 1

_The following story is a work of fiction_ _that features characters developed by Janet Evanovich. No money has been earned through writing this story. Any similarities to real events or persons are __entirely coincidental. _

_Although a stand-alone, this book builds upon the previous books in my series. Because it is a stand-alone, however, there is a lot of review in the first chapter and a lot of explanation of how I have changed the characters and storylines from JE's. I know some people find that a bit tedious. If you are sensitive to that and don't want the review, feel free to skip reading the first chapter._

_The first one is a bit cupcake-y, but the rest are pure babes and develop the relationships between the characters. For maximum enjoyment, I suggest that you read them in the following order:_

_22 Caliber_

_Trigger Happy 23 _

_Morelli's Argument 23.5_

_Ranger 23.75_

_Threatening 24_

_Fixation 25_

_Security 26_

_Sneaky 27_

_Date Night at the Movies 27.1_

_Meeting Maria 27.2_

_The Intervention 27.3_

_Envious 28_

_Dickie's Demise 28.1_

_Mob Matters 28.2_

_Altercation at Giovichinni's 28.3_

_Numbskull 29_

_Toxic 30_

_Obit 31_

_Tamper 32_

_Theft 33_

_In recognition of the fact that I'm a binge reader and don't personally like to wait for updates, and the fact that I have a few stories in the queue, I'll try to post on a daily schedule, barring unseen life events. However, in the past I have periodically posted extra chapters to celebrate achieving some personal milestone – or just because I like the way the sun is shining that day – so you might want to watch for those. Since I do that relatively frequently, if you are enjoying the story you might want to follow it rather than continually check back._

_Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated. I have a few people who regularly review for me, and I'd like to thank you for that. Your reviews have given me the confidence to write another story. I appreciate all reviews and try to respond to each and every one. Please note that I cannot respond to reviews that have been posted by guests. _

_Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoy it!_

_~ Sarah ~_

**Chapter One**

The bed dipped and Ranger gently tugged his pillow away from my Vulcan grip. I blearily opened my eyes. "Good flight?" I said. I let his pillow go and rolled over so that I could see him. My name is Stephanie Plum, and Ranger was my fiancé. We were due to be married in another five weeks.

Ranger smiled and I could see the white slash of his teeth in the dark. "I'm home. That's what's important."

"What time is it?"

"Five in the morning. It's almost time to get up for the day."

"Maybe for you. For me, it's still night. It is dark, after all."

Ranger lay down in the bed and pulled me into him. I could feel his chest rumble in laughter. "How are you? How's the baby?" he said. I was fifteen weeks pregnant. His hand drifted down and rubbed my tummy. "I think you've grown since I left."

I smiled. "I should have. With not suffering from morning sickness any longer, my body is making up for all those missed meals. I've been ravenous lately."

"Food is good for you. You need the nutrients just as much as the baby does. As long as you are eating good food, I wouldn't worry about it." I yawned. "Go to sleep, babe. I'll see you in about four hours." He kissed me on the top of my head and, as I turned my head and kissed his shoulder, I could feel his body sigh and relax, and a short minute later he was asleep.

I yawned again and reveled in the cuddle. Ranger had been gone for nine days, and it had felt like forever. I was incredibly thankful that he was back.

Ranger had left for his business reasons, and I had stayed behind for mine. I had two jobs. The first was as a bounty hunter. I worked for my cousin Vinnie at Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. I had blackmailed myself into the job a few years before. Vinnie had been looking for a bounty hunter and I had needed a job and, although he didn't think I could do it, he was desperate and it was a particularly juicy bit of gossip that I was blackmailing him with. So he had let me try my hand at bounty hunting. I don't know who was more surprised – Vinnie or me – when I started to catch felons. I wouldn't say that I was good at it, but I did all right and Vinnie had kept me around ever since.

Being a bounty hunter meant that I worked a lot with felons. When someone was arrested, they were put in jail until their court date. However, they were most likely also awarded the chance to pay bail, the ability to pay a bond to the courts that would allow them to walk free until their court date. Since jails were not a pleasant place to be, felons often chose this option. The problem was that most felons didn't have the money to pay the bond.

That's where a bail bonds company came in. For some collateral and a sum of fifteen percent of the bond, the bonds company would pay the felon's bail. When the felon showed up at court, the court returned the bond to the company and the bonds company returned the collateral to the felon. The bonds company, however, kept the fifteen percent.

This meant that the bonds company wasn't very happy if the felon didn't show up for their court date. Without that money returned, they couldn't lend it to another felon and earn another fifteen percent. To capture the felon and return them to the system, they hired a bounty hunter. My job was to find the felon and return them to the police to get a new court date. When I did that, the process started anew. The felon was given a new court date and was often given a new opportunity to make bail. The bondsman liked it when that happened. The bail was set at a higher level and the bondsman could earn more in their fifteen percents.

For this work, I was given two-thirds of the fifteen percent as my capture fee. Some months this was quite lucrative for me. Many months it was not, and because there was no base pay, some months were very lean and I didn't earn enough money to support myself.

Because of that, I had taken a second job. I was the Manager of the Research Department at Ranger's company, Rangeman, an elite private security company that was getting known for the quality of service they provided to clients. With a client list that encompassed the FBI, the CIA, the DEA, the Secret Service, the local police departments, and a wide range of private clients, they did everything security-related, from designing high-end security systems; to installation; to monitoring; to training and providing security guards; to training and providing bodyguards; to cybersecurity; to investigative services; to the provision of tactical Emergency Response Teams experienced in everything from hostage negotiation to bomb dismantling to extractions and attacks. We were the best in the business and had designed and implemented security systems for a variety of well-known places such as the MoMA in New York, the CURE stadium here in Trenton, and the White House itself. Like me, Rangeman also provided bounty hunting services. Unlike me, they were good at it.

Because bounty hunting – at least, when I did it – often involved rolling around on the ground with a skip, and because Ranger and I didn't want to take the chance that the baby would be endangered, we had decided that I would hand all my captures over to Rangeman staff to do and I would focus on my job as a researcher. This worked out well, as we had picked up a number of new clients and, although me and my two staff members were working flat out and doing tons of overtime, we weren't keeping up to the demand.

As a researcher, I was involved in many aspects of the business. For the bounty hunting part of the business, my team was responsible for creating capture plans for two separate bonding agents, an outline of favorite haunts and habits of felons and the identification of places that the felon would most likely be found in, that the patrol staff used when picking up the felons. For the Sales Department, we were responsible for investigating different potential clients. By finding out all about them, we could determine whether we would want to take on that client as well as provide information to let the Sales Department direct and tailor their marketing. Once the company was signed on, they often asked for a review of all their employees to look for security leaks. With Rangeman in a growth mode, we were often taking on two or more companies a week with a cumulative staff complement of three hundred people, and each of those people had to be investigated. It was a huge chunk of work. When the client had gone through that initiation, they often paid for all potential employees to be investigated to ensure there weren't any security leaks with any new hires. We provided that service for our own company as well.

But that's not all we did. Rangeman had been more recently hired solely for our research capabilities. We worked for the Trenton Police Department and the Newark Police Division as researchers and investigated potential felons and provided background research on suspects that aided in their arrests. We had been hired by a mutual fund company to provide due diligence reviews of companies that they are interested in and, more recently, had been marketed to real estate offices and real estate lawyers for the due diligence reviews necessary for purchasing a business. The Sales Department had seen a huge market niche that hadn't yet been explored by Rangeman and they felt that we could fill that niche with our services. They wanted to make us the go-to people when someone wanted to buy a business. We already had real estate offices calling to get quotes.

So we were incredibly busy. By my calculation we needed about six staff to keep up to the demand. We had three including me, although one of my staff was supposed to be a part-time staff member and had just been temporarily moved to Research on a full-time basis as we tried to get caught up. Of course, we were all working a lot of overtime as well. Miguel, the part-time researcher, was happy about the overtime. He had just bought a house and could use the extra money as he prepared to renovate it.

The other staff member, Dirk, was a full-time researcher. He had been recently hired by Rangeman after doing a couple of tours overseas. An accountant by trade, he had taken to research like a duck to water and had been excelling in the role. I was very glad to have both of them on staff.

We were interviewing for another researcher that morning. Although it was the weekend, our need was great enough that almost the entire Rangeman staff was working seven days a week, and my research department was no different. The new staff member was to work for me part-time and part-time for Leo in Cybersecurity until I came off maternity leave, at which point they were to move into a full-time position in Cybersecurity. Both Leo and I needed a full-time person, however, and so after this position was hired Ranger was planning on asking HR to hire another full-time staff member into the research department. I didn't think it would be enough to satisfy the demand, but I was willing to give it a try. I was just grateful to have another staffer added to the team. Ranger didn't think another full-time person would be enough either – especially with the growth in the demand for our services and the marketing of the research department that Sales was doing – and had said that he would like to hire another two and a half people to the research staff rather than just the one and half that were currently planned. I wasn't sure if that would solve the problem either, but my existing staff was just happy that we were getting the support from upper management.

Finding competent staff was hard. Until recently, Ranger had a preference to hire returning male vets, preferably ones that had worked on special operations units, and he wouldn't hire anyone but. However, with his company growing as fast as it was, he had opened up his hiring practices. As someone who had shied away from hiring women, he now considered women for all roles other than the Emergency Response Teams. He still required special operations military training in all ERTs, and since there were no female team members in the Delta Force, the Rangers, the SEALs, or any of the other special operations groups, he by default only hired males into the ERT role. He still had a preference for returning vets, but had opened up his administrative and support positions, as well as a small number of Operations positions, to non-military personnel. Research, Cybersecurity and Onsite Security were the three departments that had the most non-military personnel. This meant that I was no longer the only female person on staff. This was nice for me and it helped Ranger appear to practice gender equality. With having a number of governmental clients, that was important.

I was glad that he was opening up his company to hire women, not only for the legal reasons but also because I thought we needed to in order to get enough feet on the ground. We had almost doubled in staff size in the last year and we anticipated that we'd double in staff size again by the end of this year. In short, Rangeman was surpassing all of Ranger's dreams and it showed no sign of stopping.

So Ranger's staff was growing by leaps and bounds. He had approximately one hundred staff that worked out of our head office building with another hundred security guards that worked offsite, and he had a similar staff complement in his Miami office. This meant that the head office was bursting at the seams. Housed in a nondescript seven-story office building in Trenton on a quiet side-street, it contained three floors of office facilities and four floors of residences. All ERT staff lived onsite during their on-call periods and accounted for the third and fourth floors, Ranger and I lived in the penthouse, and our housekeeper and her custodian husband, Ella and Luis, lived on the sixth floor. There were two levels of basement parking and, also in the basement, were a holding cell for when Ranger was transporting prisoners and holding felons for various governmental agencies, and a shooting range so that staff could keep their skills up. On the first floor were our staff gym and conference rooms, on the second was our administrative and support services, and on the fifth was Operations. That was where I worked.

With the number of people causing such a strain on the space, Ranger had purchased an empty plot of land that was adjacent to our building a month ago. It had formerly held a church on it, but the church had burned down the year before and had been razed to the ground, and the plot of land had been left vacant. It had quite a bit of land associated with it and had been a good buy, and Ranger had scooped it up just as the Order became interested in listing it. More recently, across the street was a parking lot that was up for sale and Ranger had put in an offer to purchase it just after Christmas, an offer that had been accepted on New Year's Eve. He hoped to keep it as a parking lot right now but, if we needed the space to build another tower, he thought it would be handy to have the land available for us to develop.

Plans had already been drawn up for the former church site, and approvals and permits had been granted. On this site, Ranger was building another seven-story building, but the new building would just hold residences for staff. The first floor would contain a large gym, a pool, training rooms and a three-story climbing wall. Ranger was planning on doubling the number of ERTs to four rather than his current two, and requiring staff to work one week out of four on call rather than every second week. Since he would therefore need residences for forty staff, four floors of the new building would be dedicated to housing ERT staff. On two of the floors there would be another apartment for Hal, manager of the patrol staff, that would be small in footprint but spread out over two floors. The sixth floor would again have an apartment for our housekeeper and custodian, but this time there would also be a separate apartment for our Vice-President of Operations, Tank. He currently lived offsite, but it had been problematic in the past and Ranger was looking forward to having him live in the building. The penthouse would again become our apartment. However, our current apartment was just under thirty-five hundred square feet and was absolutely massive. Our new apartment was going to be double that size. I couldn't even envision it in my mind.

We were scheduled to break ground on the new building in early March, and construction was predicted to take until the end of December to complete. Once we had all moved into the new residences, the office building would have four floors of work spaces, two of which would be Administration and Support Services and the other two would be designated for Operations. Ella's apartment would become a staff lounge, and Ranger's and my apartment would become a guest suite for visiting dignitaries and other security-conscious celebrities. The first floor would be conference and training rooms. Although the office reorganization wouldn't happen for another year at least, the staff was already counting down the days.

I was no different. I had a small office that didn't have enough space for two people, let alone three, and when we hired the new person they'd be sitting in the Cybersecurity Department just because Leo was better able to reorganize his space to accommodate another staff member. I was thankful. As it was, I was usually working from our home office just to free up the space for the other staff. That was, in fact, my one worry about adding more staff. While it would be a great thing for people to join the team to make the workload for each of us more manageable, there was literally nowhere to put them.

That was hopefully a stressor that would soon be removed. The Facilities Manager had told me the day before that he had found an affordable temporary office space to rent, and we would be moving the Support and Administrative functions over. It would greatly reduce staff tension and I know that I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard of the temporary lodgings.

With all the work that the Research Department had on our desks, it had been impossible to get caught up. We had been trying for the last month and both Dirk and Miguel had done just as much overtime I had. This wasn't good, as I wasn't supposed to have been working overtime. I had almost lost the baby six weeks before, and Ranger had banned me for working overtime and putting any additional stress on the baby. While I understood what he was saying, I also knew that overtime on all our parts was necessary to keep up to the demand. With Ranger gone for the last nine days, I had been able to get a lot of work done. I had worked a hundred and two hours in the last week alone. I wasn't the only one. Miguel had worked ninety hours and Dirk, who was married and had two little children, had worked seventy-five. Even so, we were just keeping our heads above water and weren't, in any way, catching up in our inquiries. With adding the two police departments, the two bonds offices, and the mutual fund company all within the last month, we had added a huge book of business to a department which was already overworked.

I nestled in Ranger's arms and enjoyed the cuddle, but the more I thought about the work that was outstanding, the more awake I felt. I eased out of bed and quickly turned my pillow so that Ranger could cuddle it. Despite my efforts, Ranger opened his eyes. "Everything okay, babe?" he said. I immediately hated him. He sounded far more awake than I was, even though I'd had six hours of sleep and he'd only had one.

"Shh", I said. "Go to sleep. I'm just getting up for the day."

"But it's still dark out", said Ranger.

"I'm fine", I said. "Go to sleep." I kissed him on his forehead and slipped into his housecoat, walked into the bathroom to use the facilities and brush my teeth, and tiptoed out of the bedroom and shut the door softly. I stretched and walked over to the coffee maker. Now that the morning sickness had disappeared, I was back to drinking coffee. Despite needing to drink decaf for the baby, years of conditioning meant that the smell of the coffee itself was a stimulant and still had the necessary ability to wake me up. As I blearily measured out grinds and filled the reservoir with water, I thought that the conditioning was a good thing. I needed all the help that I could get lately in waking up and staying awake.


	2. Chapter 2

I had a glass of milk while I waited for the coffee to percolate through. Then, because I had found that I felt better when I had a number of small meals rather than three large ones – the morning sickness had disappeared as long as I ate regularly but, if I let myself grow hungry, the morning sickness came back – I pulled a banana blueberry muffin from the freezer and defrosted it in the microwave. By the time the muffin was ready, the coffee had finished its cycle. I took the muffin out of the microwave and placed it on the counter, poured myself a cup of coffee, then put the food on the breakfast bar. I retrieved my computer and sat at the breakfast bar and woke it up. "If I can't sleep", I said to it, "you can't either." I figured I was a little punch-drunk with fatigue because I thought that was particularly funny.

I opened up my mail and approved Miguel's and Dirk's timesheets, created my own, and put them in a summary report to send to John, the HR Manager. I was glad that he was now doing the hourly review and approval. Up until a month before, Ranger had been doing all the time sheet approval and he would have seen the number of hours that I had been working. Since he wouldn't be pleased, I was glad that he wouldn't find out. After all, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, would it?

I wrote a note to John outlining the responsibilities of the next person we were hoping to hire. I had talked to Dirk and Miguel, and we had come up with the requisite qualifications. We had been finding that Dirk's accounting background had been incredibly helpful, and since review of corporate spreadsheets was an area that we were growing the company in, we thought it would be a good idea for the new person to also have a financial auditor's background. I didn't know if we would find someone with the qualifications we were looking for, but I wanted to try. I wrote in the email that, to keep current on our inquiries, I estimated that we would need six full-time staff. Adding another one and a half staff was necessary and, even with one and a half more staff, we would still be behind.

By the time I had finished typing my email to John, I had also finished my muffin and my first coffee of the day. I refilled my cup and turned to doing capture plans. Out of the three of us, I was the best at preparing them, followed by Miguel. Out of the three of us, we were the only two who had done captures. I had trained Dirk to do the plans but was training Miguel more in-depth on them. When I was on maternity leave, he would take over their preparation and I wanted him to be ready. However, we had about eight capture plans to prepare each week. I was getting Miguel to do three of them and I did the other five. I would look over Miguel's, but he had been learning fast and was doing a good job. I was still better.

To prepare our capture plans, we used an in-house designed search engine called In-Spect. It was incredibly invasive and could find out everything about a person from the date that they started walking to the size of their shoe. It could find out things about yourself that even you didn't know, and it could do it all in a blink of an eye. Well, maybe not in a blink, but it was very fast. It took about ten minutes to do a search and would find out information ranging from medical to financial to academic to criminal to professional. It found out information just this side of legality. After spewing out the results, it would take me about ten minutes to analyze the data and an additional ten minutes to write up the findings in a report with links to the various bits of information. All told, each search took, on average, half an hour.

That number went up astronomically when the analysis discovered something curious that bore further investigation. The further research would lead me down rabbit holes and through data dumps, but with a few hours I would be able to find out everything there was to know about someone. That was the sort of research we did for the two police departments, and we did something similar for the mutual fund, although in that case we were investigating companies and their owners.

The only person that I had never been able to pull up information on was Ranger. While it was known that Ranger had formerly been a member of the US Army, what wasn't commonly known was that Ranger was part of the team that had transported the deceased Osama bin Laden to the ship for his burial at sea. Since bin Laden was thrown overboard by a US ship, the al-Qaeda was furious with everyone involved in the mission – both the Navy SEAL elimination team and the Ranger transport team alike. In retaliation, they had started to eliminate all the people who had been part of the mission.

The government, in an effort to protect their staff, had scrubbed all association of the staff from the mission. Ranger asked the government to go a step further and, when he retired from the army, he asked for an alternate identity to be created for him. This meant that, if you did a search for him, you'd find that he had never been in the military and instead had gone to college for business. Since his alternate identity had been created, Ranger purposely lived off the grid as much as possible. His credit cards were corporate cards. His residence was located in the office building. His car was leased to the corporation. His phone and internet usage were registered to the corporation. He was a very hard person to try to suss out. I know. I had tried.

His history had confused more than just me. Lula, my sometimes-sidekick and friend of mine that worked in the bonds office, had looked into his past. Connie, the office manager who worked at the bonds office, had looked into his past. Joe Morelli, my ex-boyfriend, still good friend, Trenton police detective and the TPD liaison with Rangeman, had looked into his past. We hadn't been able to find anything on him. In fact, it wasn't until Ranger had taken me into his confidence just a few months ago that I had found out about his history. The only other person that knew of Ranger's true identity was Tank, Ranger's best friend and his Vice-President of Operations.

Ranger kept that information secret for a few reasons. The first was because of the Osama bin Laden connection. The second is because of Ranger's involvement in PMC, or Private Military Contractors. It was a company that had a client list ranging from the CIA to the DEA, the FBI to the military, and so on. PMC staff was the best of the best in the world and were paid handsomely for their involvement. However, with reward came risk, and PMC staff did all the shit jobs that the government thought were impossible to pull off. Ranger was now a trainer for them, but he hadn't always been. With his Cuban-American heritage and his fluency in Spanish he was a natural to work in the War on Drugs. He had a history of leading raids into the territory of various drug lords, raids that resulted in the shutdown of their operations. The drug lords didn't have a huge sense of humor though, and their ability to shrug things off was non-existent. Through his work, he was now on the hit lists of several drug lords. Ranger's decision to hide himself and everything that he had been able to accomplish was done to protect his loved ones.

The need to protect everyone he knew was a part of him. It was that same protective nature that had led him into the security and enforcement areas that he had chosen to work in. However, when his now-thirteen-year old daughter from his first marriage was kidnapped a couple of years ago, it seemed to make an impression on him. Julie was kidnapped by someone who wanted to steal his identity, but he had become even more protective and more secretive, and more conscious about the personal security of everyone important to him.

Worried about bringing the insanity to me if we settled down, Ranger had always kept me at an arms' length. We had become best friends and, when the stars aligned, lovers, but Ranger didn't really let me in. However, when I broke up with my last boyfriend and we started down the path of having a relationship, Ranger thought it was only fair that he let me know of his history so that I could make an informed decision as to whether I wanted to settle down with him. Despite the obstacles, I chose him.

This meant a few things to me personally. Generally, Ranger increased my level of security. He required me to wear and never take off a watch that had a tracking chip in it and a panic button. The tracking chip was monitored by the Rangeman control room so that they could constantly tell where I was at any given time. The panic button was something I could engage that would tell the Rangeman team that I was in trouble and I needed help sent immediately. Ranger also required me to drive a Rangeman fleet vehicle. What I could afford in cars was something that was dented and rusty, and in the land of leased cars my cars stuck out like a sore thumb. Ranger instead had me driving a new black Ford Explorer. Any visit to any parking lot would show that a black Ford Explorer was a very popular vehicle to drive. While it made it difficult finding your car again in the mall parking lot, it did let me blend in. When the baby was born, he was planning on buying a Lincoln Navigator for a family car. It was a little more luxurious than the standard Ford Explorer. He would, however, still designate the Ford Explorer for me to use when I was out on company business.

Those were the two main requirements, although he also asked me to live my life in a way that let me integrate with the rest of society. This meant no wild hair colors, no tattoos…I was able to live that way in every area other than my family and friends. Most of my family was fairly reserved, but my grandmother wasn't. She was in her late seventies but acted like she was in her late teens. She didn't live her life in a way that blended in. Neither did my friend Lula. She was a former hooker who, because of some lasting injuries left by one of her previous johns, was unable to ply her trade any longer. She had picked herself up after that tragedy and reinvented her life as a file clerk for the bonds office. While she was now living the life of respectability, she was a colorful and loud character who would always stand out.

So I could blend in, but not all of my friends and family could, and that was a problem. Ranger decided he would take the chance anyway, and we soon started to go out together. We have been seeing each other for the last seven months and have been living together for the last three and a half, and they have been the best months of my life.

Shortly after I moved into Ranger's apartment, I became pregnant. It was a surprise to the two of us. We weren't trying to get pregnant and we didn't want children. Hell, we had been diligent about using birth control and a pregnancy should never have happened. When we discovered it almost five weeks into the pregnancy, we were both astounded. Ranger recovered almost within hours. It took me longer to achieve his level of happiness and comfort. In fact, it wasn't until I almost lost the baby six weeks ago that I decided I wanted him or her, but once I did I jumped on the baby carriage with both feet. It was a good thing, since keeping the baby involved me lying flat on my back for twenty hours a day for a week and a half, and for someone like me it was torturous. It would only have been worse if I hadn't wanted the baby as well.

An email popped up on my screen from Morelli. Joe said that he needed me to do some research into some members of the Comstock Street Slayers. He had apparently been handed lead on an investigation into a number of cases where key pieces of evidence mysteriously disappeared, and he believed that the Comstock Street Slayers were behind the evidence tampering. He just needed some proof.

I had some experience with the Comstock Street Slayers. A couple of years ago, they had targeted me for assassination and, if it wasn't for some of my friends, I would have been murdered. They gave me the creeps and after getting together with Ranger, when I had to return one of the members of their gang to the system I would send one of the Rangeman team to pick them up. I wasn't the bravest person in the world. I hadn't always sent Rangeman, but after getting together with Ranger I was more willing to accept help and not be worried that I was looking weak. Besides, I knew Ranger preferred it. He also knew of my history with the Slayers and he wanted to make sure it didn't happen again.

I picked up my phone and called Morelli. "Hey", I said when he answered.

"What are you doing up so early?" Joe sounded surprised, and I could understand why. Work was the only reason I got up each day. Without work, my day wouldn't start until there were double digits on the clock – and I wasn't talking about the minute hand.

"I woke up and started worrying about the amount of work that is sitting on my desk, and I couldn't go back to sleep."

"Then I guess you don't have time to help me out." He sounded disappointed and overwhelmed.

"No, I'll do it. I just won't get to it today. I'm interviewing for a part-time person, and I sent a job outline and our qualification requirements to John so that we can hire another full-time person. My goal is to hire and train a new full-time and the part-time person by the time the wedding arrives."

"That sounds good. I know that you are swamped. I can hear the exhaustion in your voice."

"There is always time to sleep later."

"Is this the same person that, when you slept over at my house, I had to watch where I stood when I tried to wake you up before you were ready? I learned after the first time when you nailed me."

"I might have been a little overenthusiastic in my need to sleep and used my signature move on you. I didn't really mean to nail you."

"I spoke soprano for a week afterwards. After that, I just knew that when your head started to spin like something from the Exorcist, I should probably head out of the room and protect myself."

"Okay, I don't like to be woken up."

"You need sleep, cupcake. Have you been working a lot of overtime?"

"I've been working a bit. More than Ranger would be comfortable with but not as much as I need."

"How does Ranger not know how much overtime you've been doing?"

"He was out of town for the last week and a half."

"When the cat's away, the mice will play?"

I squirmed uncomfortably on my seat and sighed. "I guess so."

"Cupcake, you need to take care of yourself."

"I am taking care of myself."

"Cupcake."

"I am. I'm just working a lot."

"Okay. If you can get to the research, I'd appreciate it. It's a priority over all the other research that we've been giving you."

"What's concerning you about the people on the list? After all, not all of these people are Slayers. Some are TPD officers."

"There have been a number of cases recently that involve the Comstock Street Slayers. In each case, the evidence against them has disappeared and the officers looking into their lives have all recanted their statements. The list of people involved is extensive. I'm sorry – I'm asking you to do a huge chunk of work. Are you certain you have time for this?"

"I'll make time for this. The Slayers are bad news. Make sure they don't know that you are investigating them."

"I'll be very careful", he said.

"Thanks, Joe. You're one of my closest friends, and I'd hate to have something bad happen to you."

"You're one of my closest friends as well", said Joe. "I feel bad to be dropping this list on you."

"Don't worry about it", I said. "I'll just poke away at it as fast as I can."

"Okay. Maybe you should go back to bed for a few hours. You really do sound exhausted."

"I'll be fine."

"Cupcake."


	3. Chapter 3

I looked over the names that Joe had sent to me again. I only recognized two. Both were names of TPD officers. I didn't know them well, but I knew them enough to be able to smile and nod when I was passing them on the street. One of the men, Gavin, I remembered had recently lost his daughter in a hit and run, and I thought about how awful his life was – professionally and personally. I felt bad for him and thought that I would look into his life first.

There were twenty names on the list. Morelli was right. It was a huge chunk of work and I didn't have time for it. But it was the Comstock Street Slayers. I couldn't do anything other than to devote my time to the investigation.

I sighed as Ranger emerged from the bedroom and walked into the kitchen. He kissed me on the top of my head as he walked by, and he yawned as he took a mug out of the cupboard and poured himself a coffee. "What's wrong?" he said as he topped up my cup.

"Just feeling a bit overwhelmed. Morelli just handed me an assignment that will probably take a week of intense work to do, and I don't have the time to do it. On the other hand, it is investigating the Comstock Street Slayers, and I don't have the ability to say no. They are vicious and I hate knowing that they could be getting away with something. After my own experiences with them, I want them to go down on anything possible."

"You look exhausted. What time did you get up?"

"About five-thirty."

"Why couldn't you sleep?"

"My staff is so overwhelmed with inquiry requests that I was worried about it this morning and couldn't sleep. It just made more sense for me to get up and start working, rather than lying in bed and fretting."

"Babe, you need your sleep."

"The way I calculated it, I need six full-time staff to keep up to the inquiries. I have two and a half. Every day we fall further and further behind." Exhausted tears came to my eyes.

"Aren't you hiring another one and a half people?"

"The interviews for the half person are today."

"Maybe you'll find another full-time person there as well."

"We were thinking that it would be a good idea to hire someone with a forensic accounting degree for the next person, and the people that we are interviewing today are all computer hackers and researchers."

"Maybe it makes sense to hire another three and a half people, with the half person drifting over to Leo after your mat leave."

"That's what makes the most sense, but do we have the budget for that?"

"Can we afford not to?" He came around the breakfast bar, and stood behind me to massage my shoulders. "Seriously, babe, your department is bringing in over a million in revenues. We can afford to hire more staff."

I dropped my head so that he could more easily massage my neck and sighed.

"With having three and a half more people, I hope that you'll be able to catch up to the research requests a bit, and when you drop down to an equivalent of six staff including yourself after the baby is born, I hope that you'll be able to keep up to the demand. If you can't, you'll still be able to hire more. Your department is a huge moneymaker for us, and I know that Andy is hoping to market your abilities more." Andy was the Manager of Sales. "If we take on more clients, we'll be able to take on more staff."

Tears flowed down my cheeks. "I feel like I've failed."

"Babe", he said, "that's ridiculous. If you need six staff and only have three, how could you have failed?"

I sighed and got my tears under control, swiped the tears from my face, and leaned back into Ranger's hard body. He bent down and kissed me on the top of my head. "How about you go back to bed for a couple of hours?"

"I don't have time. I have to be down interviewing potential staff in another hour."

"How many interviews have you scheduled?"

"An hour an interview and five interviews with an hour for lunch, so we'll be done by four."

"And then you can take a nap?"

"And then I will be talking about the different interviewees with Leo and Justine." Justine was the person responsible for recruitment and retention. "We've booked an hour for that. Once we have selected someone, Justine will call the incumbent and get their references from them. We hope to be calling the incumbent this afternoon."

"Incumbents. I fully anticipate that you hire two people today – one to be split with Cybersecurity and the other to work full-time for you. Then, we will put the job ad out for a couple of accounting auditors to help in your department as well. I hope to have another two people added to your staff complement by the end of February, in addition to the one and a half that you are interviewing today. This is ridiculous."

I sighed again.

"Come on, babe. You haven't had your shower yet, and neither have I. Why don't I give you a quick shower and all you have to do is stand there, and when you are finished you should have half an hour to sleep before your interviews. You can come up for a forty-five minute nap at lunch, can't you?"

I yawned again. "I'll see. I could also spend that time doing work."

"Did you do work this morning?"

"I did all the capture plans for the week. We are now caught up on those."

"Good. Patrol staff will be happy."

"I thought so."

He tugged me to my feet and led me into the bathroom, left while I used the facilities, and walked in naked. In a testament to how tired I was, I hardly even noticed how good he looked. Hardly. Ranger was stereotypically Hispanic in looks with tanned skin, short dark hair and dark eyes. He was six inches taller than my 5'7" frame and had the muscles and hardness associated with spending a lot of time in the gym. He was the hottest man that I had ever seen and was the complete opposite to me. I was one of the palest white girls around, and showed my Hungarian roots with shoulder-length brown curly hair, blue eyes, and small features. I also had Italian roots and, although I had more Italian roots than I had Hungarian, my looks were more Hungarian than Italian. While Ranger said that I was the sexiest woman that he had ever seen, I thought he was nuts and hoped that our child would take after him in looks.

Ranger gave me a fast shower and, by the time he was finished drying me off, only five minutes had passed. I donned his housecoat again and sniffed the comforting smell of Ranger's signature scent, Bulari Green, on the fabric as I reached for the hair dryer. "Put your hair back in a ponytail today", said Ranger, "and use the extra five minutes to sleep. You need it more." When I ignored him and went to reach for the hair dryer again, he picked me up and carried me into the bedroom. He dropped me down on the bed and pulled the duvet up to my shoulders. "Sleep", he said. "I'll wake you in forty-five minutes."

I closed my eyes and slept.

Forty-five minutes later Ranger woke me with a kiss. I think I growled at him as he woke me up, and Ranger looked at me worriedly. "At lunch", he said as I sat up and blearily opened my eyes, "I want you to come up here and sleep. You can eat in your interview afterwards. That will give you another hour to nap."

"I'm okay."

"Babe", said Ranger, and that's when I heard the irritation in his voice. "I checked. You worked over a hundred hours in the last week. That's not good for you or the baby. I get that you are trying to fulfill everyone's research requests, and I get that Miguel and Dirk are working almost as hard. However, you need to stop and take a breather."

"I am."

"Uh-hunh. And that's why you were up at five-thirty this morning, despite being exhausted and needing the sleep?"

"I did good work this morning. I got all the capture plans completed for the week."

"Babe."

I glanced at the time and hurriedly pushed to my feet, padded through to the dressing room, and dressed in a pair of maternity jeans and a long, black maternity Henley shirt. I added one of Ranger's hoodies to my outfit. With being so tired, I knew that I would be cold. I walked into the bathroom, used the facilities and brushed my teeth, and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I hated to say it, but Ranger had been right. I had needed sleep more than I had needed to dry my hair.

When I had shoved my feet into a pair of Toms, Ranger passed me a container and a travel mug. "What's this?" I said.

"A healthy breakfast. Three hard-boiled eggs, already peeled and four slices of lemon poppyseed bread. In the travel mug is a banana smoothie. My guess is that, in your inability to look after yourself, you also didn't eat breakfast. It's not healthy, babe."

I felt my face go red. "I had a muffin", I said. "It was banana-blueberry, so it had both bananas and blueberries in it. It was healthy."

Ranger shook his head. "At five-thirty?"

I looked down at the ground. "Yes", I said.

Ranger's eyes had his 'not happy' look. "It's almost ten."

I looked at my watch in a panic. "I have to get going. I'm going to be late."

Ranger shook his head again and sighed. "Babe", he said.

I thanked him, gave him a kiss and walked out of door and, instead of waiting for the elevator I ran down the stairs to the first floor and slid into the interview room shortly after the interviewee had arrived.

By the time the first two interviews had been conducted, I was feeling a lot more confident about the potential pool of people that we had available. Leo said the same thing. Ranger walked into the conference room as Justine escorted the interviewee out the door and smiled at Leo. "Have you had anyone good?" he said.

"Both interviewees were good", said Leo. "If the remaining three are equally as good, we'll have a hard time choosing someone to hire."

"While you spent your morning interviewing, I worked with John and Bob regarding staff complements, and I talked to Andy about the work that is coming down the pipe. Like Steph, you are understaffed and struggling. I want you to hire another person in addition to the person you are hiring to be split between you and Steph. You need the feet on the ground. Steph, I have reviewed the numbers and we've decided that you need to hire another four people in addition to the half-person that you are currently hiring. With your hires, we'll be hiring them as year-long contract positions rather than full-time to allow us the staff to cover your maternity leave. At the end of the year we'll decide as to whether you will retain all hires or whether you will let some of the hires go."

"Can we afford that?"

"Leo already has a staff of six, and he'll be adding another two people – one and a half now and the other half person in a year. However, although his staff is regularly working overtime and need the help of additional people, his staff works an average of sixty hours a week. Your staff works an average of ninety hours. Your workload has grown so fast and so much that you are even more slammed for time and, to be honest, Andy has a couple of deals in the works that will increase your workload again. It will become even worse when you are off on mat leave. Hire four staff. What kinds of people do you think you need?"

"Two forensic accountants and two researchers or hackers would be the best, I think. The researchers and hackers would have the research skills and the forensic accountants would have the ability to analyze the corporate and financial information."

"I'll talk to Justine about it while you are having your nap."

"I can work on Morelli's inquiries during my lunch hour."

"Babe." Saying 'babe' could mean a number of things to Ranger. It could be a hello or a goodbye. It could be an expression of exasperation or an expression of a more amorous intent. In this case, it was an expression of frustration and irritation. He came over to me and tugged me to my feet. "Steph will be back in an hour", he said to Leo. I hurriedly gathered up my dirty dishes as Ranger pulled me out of the conference room and down the hall to the elevators. He held my hand tightly as we waited for the elevator, and that's when I knew that he was angry.

Ranger didn't show his emotions easily, and I had learned to be very good at reading the small tells. The tightness in his eyes that screamed 'not happy'. The tenseness in his shoulders that told of his anxiety. The lightening of his face when he was feeling particularly loving, and the twitch of his lips when he found something amusing. The tight hold of my hand told me that he was angry. He didn't get angry often and I wasn't sure what it was that had gotten him angry this time. "What's wrong?" I said.

"About two months ago, you almost lost the baby and I worried about the baby and its impact upon you and your health. Then, a month ago, you were shot twice and I had to face almost losing you. Babe, I can't take it when you don't take care of yourself. I would be upset if you lost the baby but, more importantly, I would be devastated if I lost you. Working hundred-hour workweeks is not taking care of either yourself or the baby. You know what the doctor said. He wants you only working forty hours a week and working two and a half times that isn't good enough." We got on the elevator. "I worry about you."

I turned into him and nestled into his chest. "I know", I said.

"Morelli was worried about you as well, you know? He called me to make sure that I knew you'd been working so hard. He said something like you had thought it would be okay because I would never know."

"Traitor."

He sighed. "Babe, I want to know. You're my fiancée. I need to know. You're my employee. This can't go on."


	4. Chapter 4

With a move reminiscent of our morning, Ranger woke me up with a kiss an hour later. I think I growled at him again, and I pulled the duvet up and rolled over to settle back into sleep.

Ranger kissed me again and, when I smiled and my hold on the duvet loosened, he pulled the duvet off me. "Hey!" I said.

"Up and at 'em", said Ranger. I sat up, and opened my eyes. Ranger wrapped my hands around a cup of coffee, and I breathed in the aroma in appreciation. My eyes opened fully and I looked at Ranger. His eyes were still tight with upset and worry still lurked in his eyes.

"I'll be okay", I said.

"Babe."

I took a sip of my coffee and put it on the bedside table. I scrambled out of the bed and walked into the bathroom, used the facilities and, as my stomach growled in hunger, I looked down at my watch. The interview was just about to start and I needed to get going. I didn't have time for lunch.

I walked out of the bathroom again and Ranger was waiting with my cup of coffee. He handed it to me with a ham and swiss sandwich on a Panini bun and a container of cut vegetables and dip. "Eat in your interview", he said.

I shoved my feet into my shoes again, took the food from him, gave him a kiss and thanked him, and walked out of the apartment. Ranger followed and locked the door. He stood with me to wait for the elevator. "After your interviews are over and you have selected some people, I want you to come up here and have another nap."

"I need to start Morelli's research."

"You can start it after sleeping for an hour or two", said Ranger.

"I need to get it done", I said. Panic welled up and over me as I thought about the outstanding work.

"Babe", said Ranger. "Sleep for an hour or two and then you'll be able to work more effectively tonight. It will be better overall." He paused and looked at me. "I'd do the interviewing for you this afternoon if I could", he said. "Somehow I think you'd prefer to do it yourself though."

"Having to take those three weeks off to lie in bed before Christmas was disastrous", I said.

"You were already struggling at that point in keeping up. Taking the time off just made a bad situation worse."

The elevator dinged, the doors slid open, and we walked on. Ranger gathered me into a hug. "You need to ask for help when you need it. John had been approving time sheets, but he is too new to the company to know that your time sheets were accurate. He brought them to me this morning and said that he thought there was some corporate stealing going on."

I looked at him in surprise. "I take it he didn't know that we are engaged?"

Ranger's lips quirked up. "Apparently. He was even more shocked when I told him that we were hiring four and a half new people into the Research Department, that you are going off on mat leave in another six months, and that you were having my baby. I had thought that I had introduced the two of you, but I obviously didn't. I think he felt terrible after assuming that you were just trying to steal money from me."

"I can understand his concerns. I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall during that conversation."

Ranger smiled. "I wouldn't. I didn't even want to be in on the conversation in the first place."

I laughed.

We arrived at the first floor and Ranger and I walked down to the conference room hand in hand. As he escorted me in, he looked at the person we were interviewing. "Jeanne Ellen!" he said. "What are you doing here?" I froze. Jeanne Ellen was a former girlfriend of Ranger's. Their relationship had ended shortly after it had started when Jeanne Ellen applied for a position in Operations in Ranger's company. Ranger had refused to give her the job based on a lack of qualifications. She had gotten mad and left in a fit of pique.

When Ranger had met her, she was a bounty hunter working for Les Sebring. She worked for him up until a couple of weeks ago, when Ranger stole the book of business out from under her. Les had been drowning in skips and Jeanne Ellen wasn't capturing them quickly enough, and Les intended to only give the overflow to Ranger. However, Jeanne Ellen wasn't happy and in another snit she quit her job with Les.

Without a job, she contacted Rangeman again to try to find work. When Ranger told her that she only had the qualifications to be a security guard, she tried to sue him for sexual discrimination. I didn't know what stunt she was trying to pull in getting the job as a computer hacker.

"I'm interviewing for the position you have open", she said. Her smile had a predatory gleam. "I notice that you are now hiring females. I don't understand why you haven't hired me yet."

"I still require all ERTs to be comprised of those with special ops training."

"Good thing that I'm not applying for a job with your ERTs. I'm applying for a job in your research department. I've been doing research on skips for years. I would be a valuable addition to the team."

"Last I looked, we were looking for a computer hacker."

I looked at Justine, and she looked upset.

"Someone thought I would be a good hire", said Jeanne Ellen triumphantly. "If you don't hire me, you'll be hearing from my lawyer."

"Why is that?" said Ranger. His voice was deadly quiet and his body language was tight. "You don't have the qualifications. Yes, we might have been willing to overlook your lack therein to give you an interview, but if we interview and hire people with better qualifications than you have, how can you sue us for that?" Ranger's hand was tight on mine, and I could feel the anger coursing through his body.

"I would point out that your little girlfriend here has no more experience or qualifications than I have."

His voice turned even quieter. "Stephanie is well familiar with our in-house program and is the best researcher I have ever met. She could run circles around your research skills."

Justine turned white. "This was my fault in asking Jeanne here for the interview today."

"I'm confused", I said. "I thought that we were interviewing Jeanne Ash this afternoon."

"I dropped the Ellen from my name", said Jeanne Ellen, "and changed my name when I got married."

"You're married?" I said. I smiled in relief. "Congratulations."

"I was married", said Jeanne. "We were married for two months before I realized that he was an asshole. I left him."

I looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry", I said. "My first husband and I only lasted three months before I realized that he was an asshole, so I know what it is like to have to leave someone so soon after being married."

"Whatever", said Jeanne Ellen. "I'm here, ready to be interviewed. Are you in on the interview?" she asked Ranger.

"I wasn't planning on staying", said Ranger, "but I think I will now." He guided me to the table and held my seat, and I looked at Jeanne Ellen and bared my teeth. She was undressing him with her eyes, and I looked up at Ranger. He looked irritated and I knew that he felt uncomfortable with the attention. I also knew there was no way in hell that we'd be hiring Jeanne Ellen.

It was a bit of a disappointment. Jeanne, on paper, was the best person for me to hire to be a researcher, and I was glad that we hadn't advertised the fact that we were hiring for a few research positions. She could easily become a thorn in our sides.

Then I thought about my growing bulk and how I wasn't attractive any longer. I knew that Ranger said that he found my pregnant body sexy, but I didn't understand it. Personally, I didn't feel sexy. I just felt fat, and I remembered Lula telling me that she had lots of clients when she was a hooker who used her services because their wives were pregnant. They didn't find their pregnant wives attractive or receptive any longer. I could understand that viewpoint all too well. While I couldn't see Ranger ever cheating on me, it didn't mean that I wanted to leave temptation in his path.

Ranger and I sat back and listened to the questions and answers flow. I ate my lunch as I listened. At the end of the interview, Jeanne Ellen said, "I expect to hear something positive this afternoon about my employment with Rangeman."

"We'll get back to you at some point in the next few days", said Justine.

"I'm the best person for the job", said Jeanne Ellen.

"How do you figure that?" I said as I looked at her. I could tell that Ranger was ready to jump in, and I wanted to head off another confrontation. "We asked for someone with a computer science degree, someone who had been a known hacker. You are, as far as I can tell, not that person. You don't have any degree, let alone a computer science degree. We decided to add you as a flyer in case you had more qualifications than were on your resume. To be honest, your bounty hunting skills were attractive to us which is why you had the interview. But I can tell you right now that you won't be hired. You don't have the qualifications that we need and perhaps more importantly, you don't have the attitude. We need someone who can work in a team, and just knowing you personally and your history with Les and seeing your attitude that you displayed in this interview, you don't have the sort of personal characteristics that we are looking for. I'm sorry, but I do appreciate your time and your decision to come in and interview with us."

"I'm the best person for the job."

Ranger glared at her. "You're not the person we're looking for", he said. "Perhaps I can see you out?" He stood up.

"You have to give me this job, Ranger. You stole my job from Les."

"No, I didn't. I offered him an alternative and he jumped at it, knowing that you were more trouble than you were worth. Why do I want to take on his problems?"

"I'm a good bounty hunter."

Ranger sighed. "I know, but that doesn't necessarily make you a good researcher. As far as I remember, your research skills were lacking."

Jeanne Ellen glared at him, and I looked at Ranger. He just looked tired. "Come, Jeanne Ellen", he said. "I'll see you out."

Jeanne Ellen angrily got to her feet and stomped her way out of the interview room. As she left, I could hear her say, "when you get tired of your pregnant girlfriend, I'll always be waiting for you. I never stopped loving you."

Ranger stopped and stared at her outside the door to the conference room. "Really?" he said quietly. I could just hear him as he said, "I never started loving you."

Jeanne Ellen reared back and slapped Ranger across the cheek, turned around and flounced away. Ranger followed her to make sure she left the building before turning to Ralph at Reception. "Please make sure she is never allowed on the premises again", he said.

"Yes, sir", said Ralph.

Ranger walked back into the conference room as Justine stammered out an embarrassed apology. "I didn't know that there was history between Jeanne and you."

Ranger smiled. "How could you have known? I went out with her for about a month a few years ago. I dropped her when she tried to file a civil suit against me for refusing to hire her. She didn't have the required qualifications. She wanted a job as a patrol officer, and as you know they are all members of my ERTs and she doesn't have the necessary qualifications to be on an ERT. I initiated the split based on her actions and Jeanne Ellen didn't take the split well. She eventually went away and I thought she was over me. With the loss of her job with Les Sebring, however, she has been coming back and trying to stir the waters again."

"Will this open us up to a lawsuit?" said Justine.

"I don't see how it could", said Ranger. "She doesn't have the qualifications. Just because we interviewed her doesn't mean that she's entitled to a job. Not everyone we interview will get hired. That's the way the process works. However, I will let Nate and Emmy know that they should be prepared in case Jeanne Ellen comes back at the company." Nate was the Vice-President of Administration and Support Services, and Emmy was our Director of Legal Services.

"I thought it was sneaky of her to use her married name and to drop her middle name", I said. "She would have known that using her true name would have stopped us from interviewing her in the first place."

"That is true", said Ranger. "You would have recognized her right away. I guess she didn't consider that you'd be in on the interviews."

"I don't know how she couldn't", I said. "I am the manager of the department."

"Maybe she didn't know that?" said Ranger.

"Do you want to be included in the other interviews?" said Justine.

"No", said Ranger. "However, if it is okay with you I will come down and be a part of the discussion at four. I'd like to hear about the candidates."

"Absolutely", said Justine.

He leaned down and gave me a kiss, and walked out of the room. Justine left to get the next interviewee and Leo looked at me. "I don't think I have ever seen Ranger so angry. He is always so calm and cool."

"If you think it is bad now, you should have seen it when Adam was sexually harassing me." Adam was a former sales representative that believed that I loved him and wanted to settle down with him. He pursued me and tried to abduct me. Ranger and the Rangeman team stopped him, but Ranger had been furious and was even more so knowing that the danger was caused by someone on his team.

Justine brought in the next interviewee, and two interviews later we had decided that we liked all the interviewees except for Jeanne Ellen. Ranger came into our meeting. "What's the verdict?" he said.

"There was one clear winner as far as Cybersecurity is concerned", said Leo, "and one potential winner. I thought Sean was the clear winner and Petra was the potential winner. While she seemed good, she just seemed a little young. This would be her first job outside of school."

"I liked Petra as well. Would you be good with splitting her time between the two of us for the next ten months?" I said.

"Yes. I'd like to have her on staff."

"What did you think about the other people?" asked Ranger.

"There were four people that were serious interviewees", I said. "I liked all of them for research. They seemed to understand that there was a line between legality and illegality, and it was a line that they couldn't cross. Out of everyone, Sean was the person who seemed to understand that the least. However, he seemed like he'd be a good employee and I am happy that you want to hire him, Leo. I think that he will make an excellent addition to the team."

"So if we are hiring Sean to the role as cyber-geek and Petra to do part-time computer work and part-time research, what about the other two potentials?" said Ranger.

"They have the computer skills that I am looking for. Any additional staff will need to have a forensic accounting background, but I could use Gwynne and Emily. Gwynne, with her library science master's degree, would especially be a good addition to the team."

"So that is what you've decided?" asked Ranger. "Sean as the full-time cyber-geek, Petra to split her time between cybersecurity and research, and Gwynne and Emily working full-time in research?"

I looked at Leo, and he nodded. "I'd be happy with that", he said.

"So would I", I said.

"I'll check references", said Justine, "and we'll aim for a start by the end of January."

"I'm glad you got such good applicants", said Ranger. "You did a good job, Justine."

"Yes, thank you", I said. "These new staff will make my job much easier."

"On Monday, Steph is going to work with you to devise a job description for two new forensic accountants to work in research as well", he said. "However, that won't happen until Monday."

"I have from one to two available on Monday", said Justine. "The rest of the day I'll be in interviews." I arranged to call her then.

"Everything is done now?" said Ranger.

"Yes", said Justine.

"Good. Since we ended this applicant review early, you have more time for a nap", he said to me with a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

I groaned. "I don't have time for a nap."

"It's quarter after four", said Ranger. "I'll tell Ella to have dinner ready for six and I promise to wake you up. If you sleep until dinnertime I promise that I won't give you a hard time about working after dinner for a while. However, the deal is that you have to sleep until dinner."

"And if I don't sleep?"

"Then I will harass you and give you a hard time, and I will carry you up to bed and hold you still until you fall asleep. You're so tired that I predict that will take about a minute." Leo and Justine smiled. "Babe, come on. You desperately need sleep, the baby desperately needs sleep, and I desperately need to stop worrying about you. You having a nap will solve all those issues."

I sighed and got to my feet. "I guess, put like that, I should have a nap."

Ranger smiled and put his arm around my shoulders. "Love you, babe."

I huffed out a laugh. He looked so pleased to be getting his own way.

I said goodbye to Justine and Leo and walked to the elevator with Ranger. "What do you have on the books for tonight?" said Ranger.

"I'd like to do a draft job description for the new forensic accountants' positions. I also have six outstanding Operations inquiries into potential job applicants for various clients to do", I said. "Tomorrow, I'd like to get through all the Sales inquiries. That will leave Morelli's research request, two others from the TPD, five from the Newark Police Division, and three company set-ups to do next week. So it will be a light evening. Just the six employee reviews and the job description." I yawned. "It's good. I'm a little tired."

"Babe", said Ranger. He kissed me on the top of my head and adjusted himself so that he was standing behind me. He wrapped his arms around my middle and kissed my head again.

I closed my eyes and leaned into him, and seconds later I was asleep. Ranger's quiet laugh barely registered, as did him draping my arm over his neck and lifting me up. I vaguely heard him explain to Leo and Justine that I was just tired, and then I don't remember anything until my bladder woke me at seven.

I used the facilities and walked out to the office. "I thought you were waking me at six?" I said.

Ranger smiled slightly. "I tried. After you threatened to use your signature move on me for waking you up, I decided you needed sleep more. Are you feeling better?"

"I think so", I said. "I'm still waking up, so ask me again in a few minutes."

Ranger's eyes lightened as he looked at me. "Your black circles aren't as dark, but I suspect that they will take some time to disappear."

"I shouldn't have slept so long. I have too much to do."

My breath came hard and fast and I started to shake in a panic attack, and Ranger looked at me in worry. He moved his chair back from the desk and motioned to me to come over. When I did, he pulled me down to his knee. "You don't have to do anything other than to breathe", he said. His hypnotic voice calmed me as he pulled my head onto his shoulder and he rhythmically smoothed my hair away from my face.

"I'm just so worried about getting it all done."

"I know, babe. But you are doing the best job you can, and you have to hold onto that."

My breath caught, and I swiped away my tears. "I feel like I'm failing."

"Babe, we are asking the impossible from you. The only way you'd be able to get it all done is if you cloned yourself a few times and had all the Stephanies working on the tasks. I understand that."

"But people are getting upset with my team because we aren't getting work done in a timely fashion. Yesterday, Clive from Sales was yelling at Dirk. Literally yelling and stomping around. I had to intercede and tell him off. It isn't something that comes naturally to me."

Ranger tensed and froze. "Did you tell Andy?"

"I did. I didn't want to get Clive in trouble, but Dirk and Miguel shouldn't have to deal with someone yelling at them. I explained to Andy that I understood Clive's frustration, but that they had done such a good job selling our services and our clients came before in-house requests. I explained to him that we were soon hiring more staff to hopefully solve this problem, but in the meantime Sales would have to be patient with us."

I could feel Ranger purposely relaxing his muscles. "What did Andy say?" he said.

"Andy said that he knew we were struggling and he knew his staff had brought in a lot of business for the research department. He also said that Clive had to take a chill pill and that he would talk to him."

"Do I need to talk to Andy?"

"No. The issue has been taken care of. However, Dirk was upset from the encounter. He had worked fifteen-hour days for the past five days and he's tired. He took the brunt of Clive's anger and, when Clive turned his venom on me, Dirk told him to back off. He got in Clive's face and with a deadly voice told him that he wasn't showing the respect and attitude I was due as a lady or as a supervisor and, if he didn't apologize, Dirk would make him. It's funny. Dirk is such an easy-going guy and such a team player and so accommodating it was a shock to me to see him react so forcefully. I could see his military training come into play. He was furious. Miguel got up as well and stood in-between me and Clive. It was a bad scene. Dirk and Miguel protected me though, and after he apologized to me Dirk escorted him back to the Sales department and told him not to come back. Meanwhile, Miguel gave me a hug and reminded me that we were all doing the best we could. Dirk and Miguel were upset, but they were more concerned about me and how I was handling it. They are both protective people, and the three of us have formed a tight unit."

"When did you talk to Andy?"

"I phoned him when Dirk got back from escorting Clive to Sales, and told Andy what had happened. I haven't heard anything since, but since that happened at the end of the day, I don't know if Andy had a chance to talk to him yet."

"Thank you for letting me know, babe." He paused. "Is that why you are putting so much pressure on yourself to get everything done?"

"We all have been putting pressure on ourselves to get as much done as we can as quickly as we can. Dirk worked seventy-five hours last week and the only reason he didn't work more was because I banned him from the office on the weekend. He didn't retire from the military to spend his time in an office. He has a wife and two little children, and I'm sure his wife is glad for him to be back on home soil. She's not going to be so impressed if she has to miss him because he is working so hard. It's simply not fair."

"And Miguel?"

"He took one day off last weekend to do chores around the house, but he did ninety hours in the last week. Both Dirk and Miguel are working flat out as much and as fast as they can." My breath started to speed up again as another wave of panic washed over me.

"Shh. I know, babe. Hiring another four and a half people will only do good things for you. We should have hired them before."

"Andy said that he's been talking to the other police departments in New Jersey and over into Pennsylvania. He said he has some interest in our research skills."

"That would be good, especially if we sign them on _after_ we hire the additional staff."

I let out a huff of agreement. "I had never aspired to be a manager before."

"I actually have made a change in your job title."

"You have?"

"In the general office reorganization, I have added another layer in staff. You are now the Director of Research. You will have two managers working below you – one of which I would recommend to be Dirk. Miguel, I think, should be given the opportunity to stay at his current pay grade and split his time between patrol and research, or take the other manager's job and do research full-time. If he chooses to do research full-time, I think we should give him the option to do captures one day a week, just like you'll be doing captures one day a week. The hands-on experience would let him learn better what is essential to include in a capture plan, and it would let him keep his hand in the patrol world but will also let him do research for the majority of the week. What do you think? Personally, I would be happy if Miguel took the other manager's position. I believe that he would be excellent in the role."

"So do I. Both Dirk and Miguel are born leaders. What will their job titles be?"

"I think they should both be Manager of Research, and you should loosely give all corporate inquiries to Dirk and all client inquiries to Miguel. This makes sense since I am reworking the floor plan for the Research Department in our office renovations to have three offices – one for each of your managers and one for yourself. The rest of your researchers can work in the open area."

"That works." I took a deep shuddering breath and kissed Ranger's neck. "Thanks for being so supportive", I said.

Ranger thought about smiling. "Any time. Are you hungry?" he said.

My stomach rumbled as if on cue, and Ranger kissed me on my nose. "Let's eat", he said.

"What did Ella make for us for dinner? It smells good." Ella, Ranger's housekeeper, made dinner for us every day. She used to make breakfast for us as well, but Ranger had done some cooking over the holidays and found it to be a source of stress relief. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed it. He had worked out an agreement to have Ella only make breakfasts for me when he was away, and he would make breakfasts during the rest of the time. However, Ella would continue cooking us dinner and doing our grocery shopping. It worked out well. Ella was overworked and Ranger was greatly enjoying the time in the kitchen.

"She made a chicken paella and a salad", he said. "It's in the warming drawer."

I got to my feet and walked into the kitchen, washed my hands and put out some plates and cutlery as Ranger lifted the hot pan and put it on a trivet. He added cold glasses of milk and napkins as I sat down and dished some food up for myself. I waited until Ranger had dished up some food as well, and then started to eat. I moaned. Like everything Ella made, the food was drool-worthy. "You know", I said, "there are times that I am particularly happy that I am no longer battling morning sickness."

Ranger smiled. "This is one of those times?"

I smiled. "Precisely."


	6. Chapter 6

By the end of the night, I had drafted a job description and sent it to Dirk and Miguel for comments, and I asked them to look at it first thing in the morning on Monday. I also told them of the additional staff that we would be hiring over the next month. I knew that they would be pleased. Although Miguel had been appreciating the overtime to help pay for renovations in his new house, he'd been so busy at work that he hadn't had a chance to enjoy the house yet. He had moved in three weeks before, and he said that he was still living out of boxes. Similarly, I knew Dirk's family was happy having him home, and how excited his kids were for him to do the simple things with them, things like reading them a story before bed and giving them their baths. He couldn't be there for his family the way that he should be if he was working fifteen-hour days.

I was also able to slog through researching the six potential employees for one of our existing clients. I sent that information through to Tank and thought that he must be breathing a sigh of relief. The request had come in on Thursday, and Tank had told me on Friday that he was already getting reminders that the client wanted that information done.

I stretched as I finished. "How is your work going?" I said to Ranger.

"Good. I have been working with Tank and, in the need to be flexible in our office reorganization, we have decided to add four Client Managers to work under Tank. Currently, he is responsible for doing all client relations and account management. His portfolio, however, is too unwieldy. He works almost as many hours a week as you, and it isn't right. I have added the four Client Managers to the org chart and have reviewed Tank's draft job description. I sent it back to Tank with my approval and my request to send it to Justine to ask her to look for some applicants."

"Poor Justine. She's going to soon want to hire another staff member herself."

"I know, but she is still only working about fifty hours a week. Yes, it's draining to work ten hours a week of overtime, but in the scheme of things, her need is not great. Your one hundred and two hours that you worked last week, or Miguel's ninety hours, or Tank's eighty-seven hours, are all far more important to address."

"It will be nice for Tank to be able to offload some responsibilities."

"Just like I've needed to offload some of my responsibilities, so does Tank. As I said to him when he was complaining and saying that he didn't need more staff, I need him to have the ability to cover for me a bit after the baby is born and he won't be able to do that if he is slammed as much as he is right now. He already struggles when I leave town on PMC business and that's only for a week at a time. When the baby is born, we'll both be struggling with sleep deprivation for months."

"For the first four months, I won't be at work and can take the majority of responsibility with the baby at night so that you can sleep. During the day, if the baby isn't sleeping, Mellie can look after him or her while I sleep." Amelia, or Mellie, was a person that Ranger had originally hired a month ago to be a bodyguard. However, when I was talking to her I found out that she had always wanted to work in a daycare. Dave, the Director of Personal Security, was unhappy that we were stealing her to act as the baby's bodyguard/nanny, but when he realized that we would be paying the going rate and simply hiring her ourselves, and would therefore impact well on his bottom line, he was happy that we were planning on hiring her. He had spent the last month training her and has promised us that she would be the best trained bodyguard that we could have by the time the baby was born. Meanwhile, Mellie was doing an online early childhood education course to teach her the proper ways to look after children and encourage their growth.

When the baby was born, Mellie would be moving in with us so that she was more able to support us in looking after the baby. She was incredibly excited about the opportunity in front of her, and we were very happy that we had selected her to be our nanny. I had no doubts that she would be a good one.

"That's true, but I will want to spend time with you and the baby, and I won't want to miss out on a single minute. If that means that we have to hire more staff for me to be able to do that, then we have to hire more staff. That's okay. This company has to work for us just as much as we have to work for the company." He looked at me as I yawned. "Are you tired, babe?"

"Always."

He saved what he was working on and shut down his computer. "Let's go to bed."

"I'm too tired to do anything."

Ranger smiled. "I got four hours of sleep last night", he said. "I'm beat as well. But in the morning, watch out."

"Watch out, you're coming?"

"I certainly hope so", he said with a smile.

I laughed and walked out of the den and through to the master bedroom. As I passed by Ranger's daughter's room, I smiled. Julie had been very excited about her bedroom. She lived in Miami and didn't come up to Trenton often, so it had been a surprise for her when she came up at Christmas. When I had met Ranger, his apartment was a one-bedroom with a separate den. With preparing for the baby and for the switch to the apartment being designated as a guest suite for dignitaries and other people we were protecting, Ranger divided part of his living room into an office and another bedroom and changed the existing office into a nursery. Julie, who had slept in the living room on the pull-out sofa the only other time she had come to visit Ranger at his apartment, was thrilled to have her own room. We told her that it was her room until the baby was born and that, once Mellie started, Mellie would be sleeping in the room. However, we bought some of the items for her new room in the apartment already and put them in her bedroom here. She had cried and smiled at the same time when she saw her space and the work that we had put towards fixing the room up for her, and when she had finished investigating the space she had given her father a huge hug. I smiled as I remembered how ridiculously pleased Ranger had been by her enthusiasm.

I finished up in the bathroom and changed into one of my maternity nighties. I didn't see the difference between maternity nighties and those of regular people. However, my mother and father had given me a few maternity nighties for Christmas, and since they were comfortable and pretty, I enjoyed wearing them.

I climbed into bed and turned on my side as I waited for Ranger to finish in the bathroom. I smiled again as I remembered his parents' and siblings' reaction to seeing his apartment. Ranger had never invited anyone to his apartment before I moved in. Tank, me, Ella and her husband, Luis, were the only people to have seen his place. After I moved in, we had started to expand the number of people who had toured his apartment. While there still weren't many who had seen his place, a few had. Some of those people were his family. Julie, when she came up from Florida to visit her dad for Thanksgiving, stayed overnight here, and she came back after Christmas so that she could spend some time with her cousins at the Christmas party that Ranger was hosting and his family was cooking for. We had a great time, but it was the first time that his family had seen his place. They were relieved to see that he was living in as nice as spot as he was, and they thanked me profusely for inviting them.

When they were here, Ranger unveiled the blueprints for the new residence tower and, in particular, he showed his family the layout for our new apartment. We showed Julie where her room was going to be and told her some of the plans for her room. His family was enthusiastic and excited for us, and they were incredibly proud of Ranger.

Ranger turned off the light and climbed in beside me. "I'm not going to wake you up tomorrow", he said. "I'll let you sleep until you wake naturally."

"I have too much to do to sleep in. Please wake me by eight. That gives me eight hours of sleep."

"I'll wake you by eleven, and that's a deal", he said.

"Not good enough. Wake me by nine."

"Ten, and that's my final offer. Babe, you need sleep. The baby needs sleep."

I sighed. I knew, no matter what I said, Ranger wouldn't wake me until ten. "Ten, but wake me with a coffee and breakfast."

I could feel Ranger smile. "Deal", he said. "Have a good sleep, babe."

I shut my eyes. "You too", I said, and I quickly tumbled into sleep.

I slept straight through until Ranger woke me up. I didn't even wake when he extricated himself from my grasp to go for a workout like I usually did, and I didn't wake when he came back and had a shower. When he woke me at ten, I rolled over and groaned. "Already?" I said.

Ranger smiled. "I knew I should have let you sleep until eleven."

I hauled myself to a sitting position. "I can do this."

"Babe."

He handed me a coffee and I took a sniff of it and let the smell wake me. As my brain started working again, I opened my eyes fully. "Damn", I said as I looked at the time. "I had planned on getting up when you went for your workout."

Ranger smiled. "I figured that. That's why I turned off my alarm and just woke naturally myself and, when I did, I got out of the bed very stealthily. Like a ninja."

"What time did you get up then?" I said.

"Seven. I also was tired. I haven't gone for my workout yet."

"Why not?"

"I wanted to make sure that you didn't get up and start working when I was gone."

"What did you do while you waited for me to wake up?"

"I made some quick breads and muffins to put in the freezer for the week and, when I finished that, I did some work for the office. With being gone for the last week and a half, I have a lot of work to catch up on."

"I think you work more than I do."

Ranger smiled. "I don't think so", he said. "Not even close. Yes, I work a lot the week after I've been away, but then my hours decrease, and now that John and Justine have started, my hours will decrease even more."

"Hunh."

"Besides, I'm an owner. I'm supposed to work more than the rest of the employees."

"I don't think it's supposed to work that way. Did you know that, in Japan, workers are required to work more hours than their boss? I've heard that it is looked down upon for a worker to go home before their boss at the end of the day."

"If that was the case, in our company everyone would be looked upon favorably."

I smiled.

"I was thinking", I said.

"Uh, oh", said Ranger. He thought about smiling.

I lightly cuffed him on his shoulder. "I was thinking about the capture plans and the skip tracing", I said.

"Uh-hunh. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about the split in money and that it wasn't fair. Currently our deal is that I get forty percent of the capture fee and Rangeman gets fifty percent and Lula gets ten percent. However, Miguel and Dirk are now doing capture plans as well. I think what is fair is for Lula to still get her ten percent, but the remainder goes to Rangeman. It's only right."

Ranger sighed. "That's your money", he said.

"I know, but I get paid by Rangeman to do those capture plans. It's only fair that Rangeman gets the money to help cover my salary. You have to admit that what I'm proposing is fair", I said.

Ranger sighed again. But like me knowing that he wouldn't wake me before ten no matter what we agreed, he knew that I could just as easily tell Connie to give the whole ninety percent to Rangeman and he would likely never find out. "Okay", he said. "I'll accept that as long as you sleep ten hours each night this week."

"Those two things aren't even related."

Ranger thought about smiling. "Who cares? That's my deal."

I sighed. "Deal", I said.

Ranger leaned forward and gave me a kiss. "You always seal a deal with a kiss", he said.

I smiled and deepened the kiss. Just when it was getting interesting, Ranger broke away. "I haven't cut into the quick breads yet and, judging by how your stomach is growling, I think we'd better feed it."

My stomach rumbled again. And that's when I felt it. The faint flutterings in my abdomen, the quickening. It felt like butterflies fluttering inside my stomach, and I smiled. I grabbed Ranger's hand and put it on my belly. "Do you feel that?" I said.

Ranger stilled for a moment. "No. I don't feel anything", he said. "What was I supposed to feel?"

I looked at him, disappointed. "I think I felt the baby move."

Ranger grinned. "I was reading that I wouldn't be able to feel the baby move until you were at the twenty to thirty week mark. But you are feeling the baby early and maybe I'll be able to feel the baby early as well."

I smiled. "I can only hope."

He gave me another kiss. "It's coming, babe. You just have to be patient. Pretty soon you'll be lying in bed with me and the baby will be kicking me in the back."

I laughed. "I don't know if I should say I can hardly wait or poor you, as if the baby is kicking you in the back you probably won't be getting a lot of sleep."

Ranger thought about smiling. "That's okay as well. It will just be practice for after the baby is born."

I breathed out a sigh. "Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that part."

Ranger's lips quirked up. "I'll help, babe. We're in this together, and we'll do this together." He smoothed my hair back from my face and tucked it behind my ears. "Come on. Breakfast is ready and I'm hungry."

I smiled. I was hungry as well. I dropped my hand to his midsection.

Ranger thought about smiling. "Not that kind of hungry, babe." He lifted my hand and kissed it, then pulled me to my feet. "Let's get some food."


	7. Chapter 7

As much as I hated to admit it, Ranger was right in letting me sleep. With not being as tired, I had a productive day and was able to get all the Sales requests done. I sent them off to Andy and reviewed the outstanding work. I thought that I would have Dirk work on the company set-up, Miguel work on the seven police inquiries, and me work on the Comstock Street Slayer inquiry. I anticipated that the Slayer file would take about eighty hours to do, the other police files would take about thirty-five hours to do, and the outstanding corporate set-ups would account for about a hundred and twenty hours. There was still a pile of work ahead of us, but we were in a good position for the remainder of the week. Of course, that was all assuming that there weren't any more inquiry requests come in during the week. Somehow, I knew that was impossible. The last that Tank had told me, there were going to be another two companies that were being set up soon, which would be another huge chunk of work coming our way within the next week or two.

As we got ready for bed, Ranger said, "do you want me in on the conversation with Dirk and Miguel when we ask them whether they would like the managers' positions?"

"That would be nice."

"Just so that you know, your salary is going up to one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, and Miguel and Dirk would each be earning one hundred thousand. I think they deserve the money."

"How much will the other staff earn?"

"The forensic accountants will earn eighty thousand a year, and the other researchers will earn sixty thousand a year. Those are just better than the going rates for each of those positions."

"Can we afford that?"

"Honestly, it will bring your staff salaries up to approximately six hundred and fifty thousand, and you are bringing in approximately twice as much as that in revenues. You are doing well and, because you are doing so well, Sales is doing another push to market you. They think there is a huge market gap that can be explored by us, and they can see almost doubling your revenues over the next five years."

"My God! How much work do they think we can do?"

"You'd, of course, be hiring more staff to do the work."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Whew. Okay. I'll talk to Dirk and Miguel about it. And in answer to your question, yes. I would like you to be there for my conversation with them."

"Alright. The deal was, if I remember, that you'd sleep ten hours each night this week."

I made a face. "I was hoping you'd forget that deal."

Ranger thought about smiling. "Not on your life. So it's ten right now, and by the time you fall asleep it will be ten-thirty, which means that I'll wake you at eight-thirty."

I sighed and climbed into bed. "Okay", I said. I snuggled down into the duvet and, when Ranger turned off the light a couple of minutes later, I was already asleep.

Again, I slept through Ranger's alarm going off. I slept through him getting out of bed. I slept through him getting ready for a workout and I slept through him coming back again and having a shower and getting dressed. When Ranger woke me, with coffee, at eight-thirty, I pushed my hair out of my eyes and sat up, and wiped the sleep out of my eyes as I yawned.

"Feel better?" said Ranger.

I smiled. "I hate to admit it, but yes, I do."

Ranger smiled. "I set a meeting between Dirk and Miguel and us for nine-thirty, so you'll have to get going."

"Is breakfast ready?"

"It is", said Ranger. "However, it is something that keeps well if you want to have a shower first."

"Let me drink some of my coffee, and then I'll let you know." I took the coffee from his hands and sipped appreciatively. "What's for breakfast?" I said.

"Fruit salad, raisin scones and cheese", said Ranger with a slight smile. I grinned at him. Raisin scones were one of my favorite things to eat, and I had eaten a lot of them when I was in my first trimester. I'd had a craving for them that I couldn't describe. Now that I was eating just about everything – I still couldn't stomach cabbage rolls or liver, but then I couldn't eat them before I was pregnant either – I didn't have the cravings quite the same. However, I still liked them and ate as many of them as I could. "Ella made you a batch and sent them up this morning. She said she was making them for the break room anyway, and just doubled the recipe for us."

"Let me have a shower first", I said, "and I'll save breakfast for after I am done."

"Why don't you leave your hair wet and pull it back into a ponytail again?" said Ranger. "It seemed to work well on the weekend."

I smiled. I was glad that Ranger didn't expect me to be a fashion plate. With the way that I had been feeling for the past few weeks, I thought I looked more like a limp dishrag than a fashion plate. Whenever I mentioned that, though, Ranger told me that I was beautiful and sexy. He had to be, I thought, the most supportive man that I had ever met.

I had a quick shower, and shampooed, conditioned, washed and shaved my legs all in less than five minutes, got out of the shower, dried off, and pulled on Ranger's housecoat. Ranger frequently laughed about my use of his housecoat. He said that he needed to buy another one so that he had two – one for him and one to share. However, I knew that he was pleased that I used his robe. He liked knowing that his fabric was next to my naked skin. As he had told me before, that was a huge turn-on for him.

When he teased me about my usage of his housecoat, however, I offered to let him wear mine while I was using his. However, since mine was pink and frilly, he hadn't taken me up on my offer. I smiled in remembrance.

I pulled my hair back into a tight ponytail, slicked on a couple of coats of mascara and some lip gloss, and decided that I looked pulled together enough for the day. I walked out to the kitchen, where Ranger was just refilling my coffee cup and placing it at my spot at the breakfast bar. He sat down and we each dug into our bowls of fruit. Since I had been greatly enjoying the fruit salad recently, Ranger had made particularly large bowls. I ate and enjoyed every mouthful.

"What are you planning on doing today?" said Ranger as he ate some more of his salad.

"I'll work on Morelli's Slayer file. Miguel can work on the other police files, and Dirk can set up the different companies. That will take us the whole week. I also have to work with Dirk and Miguel – Dirk especially – about the new job descriptions for the new forensic accountancy positions, and take our final draft to Justine in the early afternoon. What about you?"

"I have a meeting with the CFO and John Parks today, and Bob and John and I will be looking at salaries and finalizing them. When we have finalized them, I will send an email out to each employee outlining their new job title and salary. I also will be working with Nate and Tom to find temporary office space for Nate's division that can be used until the new tower is built and this office building has been renovated." Tom was the Facilities Manager. "This afternoon, we have appointments to see three different locations. One is particularly interesting to us, as it is only a three-minute drive from our existing office building. I think having the temporary office space will be good for staff. People are starting to argue because there are four floors of staff crammed into two, and there simply isn't enough space for everyone."

"When do you think that you'll be able to move everyone over?"

"I'm hoping that the staff and furnishings will be moved over by the beginning of February. The problem will be the running of the computer cables, but the space that is located close to us is already hard-wired and there is a spot to install wifi, and that will make the move easier to undergo."

"That's great", I said. I finished my fruit and looked for more. No more had magically appeared in the serving bowl and I sighed with disappointment.

Ranger smiled. "Just be glad that Ella knows that you like fruit salad", he said. "Otherwise she would have sent up only a regular amount of fruit and I wouldn't have had enough to make a large bowl."

I sighed again. That would have been a tragedy.

I quickly ate a scone and some cheese and, when Ranger was finished his meal, I cleaned up the table and put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Ranger gave me a kiss, took my hand, and led me into the bedroom. "Oh, no", I said. "I don't have time for another nap."

Ranger thought about smiling. "This isn't for a nap", he said. "It's just that I didn't think you wanted to attend your meeting in my housecoat, as sexy as you are."

I grinned. "Are you sure you were thinking about me when you said that I wouldn't want to go into our meeting like this?"

Ranger smiled. "Okay, _I_ didn't want you to go to your meeting like this", he said. He led me into the dressing room, gave me another kiss, and turned around to use the bathroom.

I dressed in some black ribbed tights, a jean skirt, and a black ribbed turtleneck. I added a black blazer and decided that I looked respectable enough for the day.

I left the dressing room and Ranger whistled. He came over to me and gave me a hug and a kiss. "I don't know how you do it", he said, "but whenever I see you, I think you are just prettier and sexier than you were the time before when I saw you."

I smiled. "I think that it's just because you are that much older and your eyesight is that much worse."

Ranger grinned. "You aren't much younger than me", he said. "Just a handful of months."

"That's true, but you are still an old man compared to me."

Ranger kissed me on my nose. "Do you have a thing for old men?"

I smiled. "Luckily not", I said. "Willy has been trying to get me to marry him ever since I met him." Willy Fish was a former skip of mine that was a real sweetie. When Lula and I picked him up, we took him out to lunch at McDonald's before taking him to the precinct, and I told him stories about skip tracing and Lula told him stories about being a hooker. He was fascinated. The next time he was due in court, he purposely missed his court date so that we would pick him up again. Since Lula and I saw this as an emerging trend, we told him that, if he went to court, we would take him out for lunch once a month. He went to court and we've been seeing him ever since. We always enjoyed our time with him.

Ranger smiled. He had met Willy a month before, when Willy and Lula and I were caught at a bank during a robbery. Willy had tried to protect me, but despite his efforts, I was shot in the stomach. Luckily for me, I had been wearing a bulletproof jacket. A couple of days later, I was shot again – while luckily again wearing my bulletproof jacket – and a couple of days after that, another person threatened to shoot me. It was an upsetting time and I was just glad that a Christmas miracle had occurred and both the baby and I were okay. It had all ended well though. The people responsible had been captured and charged and that there was indisputable proof.

After I'd been shot, Willy had been very concerned about me and had called me a couple of times just to see how I was doing. It was nice to know that he cared. However, he had been so worried about me that Ranger and I went to the nursing home and visited Willy. He was relieved that I was okay and he was happy to meet Ranger. Lula and Connie and I had talked about him quite a bit when we had been out for lunch, and Willy had been curious about him. He told me afterwards that Ranger was a good man and that he approved. On his side, Ranger had a good conversation with Willy about his involvement in the war and what that had meant to him personally. They both had a good time talking to each other, and Ranger afterwards told me that he'd be willing to visit with Willy again sometime. I was glad. Willy had gotten into trouble with the law in the first place primarily out of boredom, and I knew how much he looked forward to Lula's and my visits. Visiting with Ranger and me would be good for him.

"I'm glad then as well", said Ranger. He smiled slightly. "Willy is stiff competition, and I might not win your hand then."

I grinned. "You would always win my hand", I said. I gave him another kiss. "I love you."

Ranger's face lightened as he looked at me. "I love you too, babe", he said. He gave me another kiss and only stepped back when his watch alarm went off. "That's our cue to get to our meeting with Miguel and Dirk", he said. "The day has officially started."


	8. Chapter 8

Ranger, Miguel, Dirk and I met in Ranger's office. We all sat around Ranger's small conference table and Ranger looked at me. "Do you want to start, babe?"

"No, I think this should come from you", I said.

I looked at Miguel and Dirk, and they looked anxious. "I'm sorry we are so far behind", said Dirk. "I'll work more hours to get caught up."

"Yeah", said Miguel. "I don't want to be fired. I really like my job. I'll do better."

"Miguel and I were talking this morning when we knew we were meeting with you and when you said that you were hiring more people", said Dirk, "and we decided that we could work weekends as well to try to slog through more of the inquiries."

"Stop", said Ranger. "Steph and I aren't unhappy with you."

"You're not firing us?" said Dirk. "I thought, after what Clive said on Friday and now that you were hiring replacements, that you were firing us."

I looked at Ranger, and the tightness in his eyes screamed 'not happy'. "Let's deal with the Clive issue first. After my meeting with you this morning, I have asked Clive to come up and have a meeting with me. He's going to be fired. I have a number of issues with what he's been doing but more importantly, no one, absolutely no one, should ever have to put up with the way he treated you. At Rangeman, it isn't acceptable for staff to yell at other staff. Staff shouldn't have to physically protect their supervisors. That is ridiculous and should not be allowed to happen. I have already talked to Andy. I intend to tell Clive that we won't charge him with verbal assault but that we are firing him with just cause, and Hal is going to walk him out of the building. If anyone ever treats you like that again, I want to hear about it immediately. There is no cause for that and it was just wrong."

Dirk and Miguel looked relieved.

"Steph and I wanted to ask you here for another reason. I am reorganizing the Research Department. According to Sales, they have had a lot of interest in your service and, according to Andy's projection, they anticipate your work will double within the next five years." Dirk and Miguel blanched. "Based on Steph's current assessment, you need six staff to keep up to current demand, and we are consequently in the process of hiring another four and a half people. Two and a half of those people were selected this weekend, and we are just in the process of checking references. One has her master's in library science, and the other has a computer science degree. We think they will both be good at researching people and navigating the internet to find out information. Assuming they check out, they should be starting by the end of the month. Steph drew up a job description that she has asked the two of you to review. Those two positions, she thought, should be forensic accountants. Dirk, Steph has told me how much she and Miguel have appreciated your expertise and she thought that she could use more of that. Do those hires make sense to you?"

Miguel and Dirk nodded.

"As you probably know, I am in the process of reworking the office organization. Stephanie's job will change from Manager of Research to Director of Research, and we are planning on putting two Managers of Research in place. Loosely, and I mean loosely as when one branch of research is busy and the other isn't I expect that both branches will help each other out, but loosely one person will be the Manager of Research for corporate inquiries. This person would be responsible for the two forensic accountants. The other person would be loosely responsible for client inquiries and would be responsible for the two and a half researchers we just hired. This means that we have two positions open as Managers of Research, and Steph and I would like it very much if the two of you would seriously consider the roles. Dirk, you would be the person responsible for the Corporate Inquiries and the two forensic accountants. Miguel, you would be responsible for the Client Inquiries and would be responsible for the other two and a half people. Like before, when Steph gets off maternity leave the half person will be reassigned to Leo's branch. Miguel, I know that you miss patrol and, if you take the job as manager, you won't be doing patrol. However, Steph and I were thinking that one day a week you could do captures. This gets you out of the office, and it also teaches you better what doing a capture is like and will therefore make you better at creating capture plans. Steph said that you are learning fast, but personally I think having hands-on experience will make you even better again. As is done currently, I would expect the capture plans to be done by you and Steph rather than having the new staff do them, as the two of you have the best feel for what needs to be included." He looked at both of them. "The jump in responsibility comes with a jump in salary. You are both currently earning seventy-five thousand. The new position will pay each of you one hundred thousand." I looked at Dirk and Miguel, and they both had the same stupefied expressions on their faces. "I don't expect an answer right now", said Ranger, "but if you could get me an answer by the end of the week I'd appreciate it. I need to know whether we are looking for researchers or managers when we do our hiring drive."

A look of joy washed over Dirk's face. "I really thought that Miguel and I were going to get fired", he said.

Ranger smiled. "Far from it. The three of you have formed a tight team and I think the three of you will lead the unit well if you take the positions. All three of you have strong leadership abilities, and are doing good work. As for your branch, I think it will only grow over the next few months. Just judging by the projections, I suspect that we'll have hired on more staff again by the time that Steph is back from her mat leave, and within the next five years I predict that the research staff will double."

"Whoa", said Miguel. "Are you sure you don't mind if I do captures one day a week?"

"I don't mind at all", said Ranger. "Steph will be doing captures one day a week or so as well, so you'll just be doing the same thing as Steph. I don't want to take patrol away from you but I do want to make sure our research desk is covered adequately while you are offsite. For that reason, I would request that you do your captures on a different day than Stephanie does hers. That day can vary by the week, or it could be the same day each week, or it could be split into two afternoons or two mornings a week, depending upon who is being captured and the amount of work outstanding in the research department. As I said, that will just require a bit of coordination between the two of you, but I know that you will excel at that. You have already proven to work together well."

"I don't need to think about it", said Dirk. "I would love to be a manager. I've been greatly enjoying the last month since I started in the department. For me, this is a dream job."

"Hopefully we find you some staff who think the same way", said Ranger.

"I don't think I need to think about it either", said Miguel. "As long as I get to do captures and am out of the office one day a week, I will be happy. I'd like to also take the manager's position. This will help me out immeasurably when I am doing my house renovations."

Ranger smiled. "I hope, by hiring additional staff, you'll have both the money _and_ the time to do those renovations."

There was a knock on Ranger's door, and Ranger said to the three of us, "thanks for coming for the meeting. I'll let the three of you work out your weekly assignments. Steph had another big one come in this weekend." He stood and shook both Dirk's and Miguel's hands, and turned to me and gave me a kiss. "Take it easy. I'll see you at lunch?"

"I'll be up in our apartment."

"I'll bring up something to eat when I come."

I gave him another kiss and walked out of his office. Clive gave me a gloating smile as I walked by, and I noticed that both Dirk and Miguel tightened their fists and moved to step between me and Clive.

Clive walked into Ranger's office but he left the door open. "Andy will be up in a few minutes", said Clive. "I notice that you were talking to Research. I talked to them on Friday, and they smartened up. I just told that Stephanie chick that her team was falling down on the job."

I put my hand on Dirk's and Miguel's arms to stay them. If we were found out, I didn't want to be the only person caught eavesdropping.

"What you said was inappropriate."

"It worked. Sometimes you have to break a few heads to get a job done. All the outstanding Sales research requests were completed on the weekend. We, of course, have ten more requests, but I'll sit on Stephanie to make sure she isn't being lazy again." Dirk's and Miguel's fists clenched.

"Lazy?" said Ranger. His voice was quiet, but Clive didn't seem to recognize the deadly steel running through it. "How many hours did you work last week?"

I looked at Miguel and Dirk, and they both had the same expressions on their faces that they would have had if they were watching a train wreck happening – a sort of gobsmocked wonder that something so terrible was occurring and a relief that it wasn't happening to them.

"Thirty-five. I'm efficient at what I do."

"Uh-hunh. Research staff is also efficient and they each worked in the neighborhood of a hundred hours a week. They simply cannot do more. We are in the process of hiring more people, but that is something that will take time. Until we do, they are doing their utmost to provide the level of service to our clients that we advertise. Since Sales requests are the least important of all the requests they handle, Sales requests will fall to the bottom of the pile. That's the way it is. If Sales doesn't like it, they shouldn't be selling more work than Research can handle."

"Are you saying this is my fault?" said Clive.

"I spoke to Andy. He told me that you signed on the mutual fund company without his permission. You actually signed the papers and committed us to providing the research without talking about it with Andy or Nate or me. If you had talked to any of us three, you would have known that we weren't ready to sign that kind of client yet. We don't have the manpower."

I looked at Dirk and Miguel, and their mouths dropped open. Ranger had told me about it the night before, so I had been expecting it, but Dirk and Miguel hadn't heard that part yet.

"That's a good client and it's a good contract."

"We will honor that contract, but we are telling the mutual fund company that they have to sign another contract with us – one that is valid and has an authorized signature on it. Since you are not authorized to sign a contract, the contract is not valid."

"You were out of town and Nate was taking too much time to review the contract. It is a good contract."

"That isn't for you to decide. You took it to Emmy in Legal Services and told her that you wanted her to review it, and you only gave her a day to do so."

"She's another person who you have to sit on to make sure that she does the work that she is supposed to do."

"Emmy didn't complain about your treatment of her to Andy since it was her first week, but she should have. Andy had to hear it through the grapevine. Your behavior was reprehensible."

Andy came up to Ranger's office and nodded at us, and smiled when I lay my finger across my lips.

"I have found that you have to sit on people to get things done. It's like if you take your car to the mechanic's. You have to call him constantly to make sure he is doing the work. Otherwise, your car will be shoved into the queue for the next day when other people call and ask for their work to be done before yours."

Andy walked into the room, but he purposely left the door open again so that we could hear.

"Did I miss it?" he said.

"No", said Ranger. There was a slight current of satisfaction in his voice. "Clive was too busy explaining to me why he thought our staff was lazy and why he thought it was appropriate to sign a contract with a company that hadn't been approved. It has caused problems for us."

"It was a good contract", said Clive.

"I'm irritated that you signed that contract", said Ranger. "That would have been a cause for censure. However, the real reason I called you in was to talk to you about your treatment of other staff. You yelled at fellow staff members and, quite frankly, that was inexcusable."

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Clive, at Rangeman we don't yell at other staff members. Full stop. We have a number of issues with your performance that we had decided to bring up at your next performance review, but now that you are yelling at staff members we are just letting you go. You are lucky. We could charge you with verbal assault, but we have decided not to do that."

"But I was your most prolific salesperson last month."

"That's true, but you were our most prolific salesperson last month because you signed on more clients than we have the capacity to service effectively. Clive, you aren't a team player, and Rangeman is a team. You are being fired with just cause and, as such, you aren't getting any compensation for your dismissal."

"This is bullshit."

"That may be, but you aren't Rangeman quality. I'm sorry, but you just don't make the cut."

I looked at Dirk and Miguel, and they both looked as happy with Ranger's firing as I felt. I indicated to them that we should leave, and seconds later we were in the research office. I smiled at the two men.

"Obviously he didn't know of the relationship between Ranger and you", said Miguel.

"I thought Ranger was going to blow a gasket when Clive called you lazy", said Dirk.

"_I _was about to blow a gasket at that one", said Miguel.

"Me too", said Dirk with a smile.

I laughed as I handed out our research assignments for the week. "I have a question", said Dirk. "Where are we going to put our new staff?"

I smiled. "Ranger is looking at a property this afternoon that he can lease for the year until the new tower is built and the offices are renovated. Administration and Support Services will be moving over. When our offices are redone, there will be private offices for the three of us and desks for the other researchers. Ranger fully anticipates that we'll have a staff of between fifteen and twenty in five years."

"At the rate that Rangeman is growing, we'll have too many people for the building even with the office reorganization", said Miguel.

I smiled. "Ranger has a plan for that", I said. "He has bought the parking lot on the corner. While he just intends to use it for parking right now, it is large enough to be another building site if we need it."

"That's good", said Dirk, "although we need the parking for staff, and I would hate to see staff parking disappear. There really aren't too many good parking choices around here."

"I know. Parking is a problem", I said, "but I've heard that the site down the street where they are currently preparing to build is becoming a parking structure. With the change of the area from one that was run down to one that has more offices, the property owners must have seen an opportunity to earn some money."

"Is Ranger getting frustrated with his growth? He must be having a problem keeping up to it all", said Miguel.

"I think he is more amazed by the growth. Whereas I'm overwhelmed, he is a bit in awe of what is happening. After all, the company isn't that old. There are approximately two hundred staff here in our Trenton headquarters and we are in the process of hiring another hundred over the next two months when you take into account the security guards, and there are an additional two hundred employees in Miami including the security guards. I'm just glad that we are on for the ride."

Hal passed by my office on the way to Ranger's. "Hey, Hal", I said. "Thanks for escorting Clive out of the building."

"Clive the dive?" said Hal. "He thinks he's _the_ shit, and the rest of the staff thinks he's _a_ shit. I'll be happy to escort him off the premises." I smiled. "I'll also be happy to inform him that you are Ranger's fiancée, and that maybe the next time he shouldn't rage on people as you never know who they know."

I laughed.

Hal gave us a little wave and continued on his way. A few seconds later I heard an angry, "this is shit", yelled out. I froze. I could hear Clive say to Hal, "I am their best salesperson. They are going to regret firing me."

"Uh-hunh", said Hal.

I smiled at Dirk and Miguel as we heard Hal explain to Clive that he picked the wrong person to rage at. "Yelling at someone is never acceptable", he said, "and yelling at the owner's fiancée is even more of a no-no."

"Who is Ranger's fiancée? Emmy? She's hot."

"No. Stephanie. You know, the person you told Ranger was lazy and needed babysitting to make sure she got her work done?" There was a silence. Hal let out a bark of laughter. "Let's go."

I smiled as I heard Hal escort Clive to the elevator, and shortly afterwards Ranger stuck his head into my office. "Did you feel vindicated when you heard me firing Clive?"

I smiled. "How did you know that I was listening?"

"I know you", he said. "And I know that you would have wanted closure." I arched my brow at him. "Okay, and Andy told me."

I laughed.


	9. Chapter 9

After searching through Gavin's history, the police officer whose daughter was killed in a hit-and-run, I started my search on the various Slayers on the list. It was slow going. They had a plethora of previous charges to investigate, and I was able to see the disappearing evidence. By the end of the day I'd researched two Slayers in addition to Gavin, and I had another seventeen to go. It was going to be a long week.

I shut down the computer at five knowing that, if I didn't have a nap, Ranger would harass me into going to bed early. However, I knew that, if I had a nap, he would support me doing work after dinner. I also knew that I would get a lot more done after dinner if I had a nap to top up my energy. I was tired and I was lagging.

Just before I put the computer to sleep, I sent a text to Connie to tell her of the new distribution of capture fees. I wanted to make sure that Ranger didn't renege on his agreement to have me give all capture fees to Rangeman, other than what I paid to Lula. He had never reneged on an agreement before, but there was always a first time and I thought that I was just being proactive.

I shut down my phone and left it on the coffee table in the den, and walked into the bedroom. I gratefully took off my maternity bra, took my hair out of my ponytail, pulled down the duvet, and lay down. I groaned in appreciation for how good it felt. My body was heavy and I could feel myself sinking into the mattress.

I moved onto my side and, as I closed my eyes, I felt the baby move again. I hadn't felt it the whole time I was working at the computer. I wasn't sure if that was because I was concentrating too hard to notice the movements or rather because the baby hadn't been moving at all. I put my hand on my belly and rubbed. "I hope you're happy in there", I said. "Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to meeting you. I had never wanted a baby before, but for the first time ever I am looking forward to being a mother."

I felt another little flutter, and then nothing. I guess the baby wanted sleep just as much as I did.

With a last pat, I pulled Ranger's pillow over and fell asleep.

At six-thirty, Ranger sat on the side of the bed and kissed me awake. "Do you want to get up for dinner?" he said quietly. "Or do you want to sleep through to the morning?"

I opened my eyes and smiled at him sleepily. "I'd rather get up", I said. "I'm hungry and, from what I smell, Ella made us a good dinner."

Ranger smiled. "Does she ever not?"

I nodded. "Good point."

Ranger helped me out of the bed and walked with me to the kitchen. He led me to the seats and went into the kitchen to pull out the casserole from the oven and place on the trivet between us, poured us some milk, and took the salad out of the fridge. He added plates and cutlery and, by the time I had fully woken up, dinner had been served and Ranger was dishing up a helping for me.

It was a good dinner – a layered taco casserole that was flavorful and, according to Ranger, healthy. After I had thirds, I pushed back from the table with a groan. "That was awesome", I said.

"If you like that", said Ranger, "you'll love my beef enchiladas."

I smiled. "Are they better than my enchiladas?"

Ranger smiled. "That depends. Are you speaking literally or figuratively? Because I think the answer would be different depending upon how you meant it."

"What would it be if I meant it literally?"

Ranger smiled. "Then I would hope that my enchiladas were better than yours. Yours would come in a box out of the freezer. You are good at a lot of things, babe, but cooking is something that you don't do well – not because you can't but because you haven't learned."

"Never was interested in it before", I said.

"Precisely", said Ranger.

"What did you mean if I said it figuratively?"

Ranger smiled. "I'd say that I love your enchiladas and I believe your enchiladas are the most attractive enchiladas that I have ever seen. In fact, I would say that your enchiladas are perfect."

I laughed.

"How did your afternoon go?" I asked. "Did you sign a lease?"

"I did. The place was empty and Emmy had already reviewed the lease agreement. The place is wired for computers and phones. It will be a good space for Nate's group, and it is only a twenty-minute jog from this office."

"Maybe twenty minutes for you, but it would take me much longer and would involve more walking than running."

Ranger smiled. "You were getting better at running before you got pregnant", he said. "By the end, you were able to go fifteen minutes on the treadmill and still have enough breath to swear at me."

I laughed. "There has to be something good about being pregnant, and not spending time on the treadmill is it."

"That's the only good thing about being pregnant?" said Ranger. He looked at me, but he looked a little concerned.

"I'm not sure", I said, "but I think the bigger boobs are good too."

Ranger thought about smiling. "Your boobs were perfect beforehand."

I frowned at him. "So you don't like the increased boobs?"

Ranger grinned. "I didn't say that", he said. "Your boobs were perfect before. Now they are even more perfect, if such a thing is possible."

I snorted. "That's a good thing, because not everyone goes back to their original size after having a baby."

"Really?" Ranger looked intrigued. "So you may stay this size?"

"I went up two whole cup sizes, but my band size hasn't gone up at all."

"I know", said Ranger. "Now they are too big to hold in my hands."

"I read that breast size doesn't stabilize until about the seventh month."

"So you might go up more?"

"Yes."

"You're right. There are more good things about pregnancy than just the baby at the end."

I laughed. "What about my breasts being perfect?"

"And as I said, you are just becoming more perfect."

"Then hopefully I won't shrink again."

"Even if you do, you'll still be perfect."

"Just not as perfect."

Ranger laughed. "I think this is a dangerous topic for me. There is nothing I can say that won't get me in hot water."

I laughed. "I was wondering when you'd come to that realization."

Ranger smiled and leaned over to kiss my nose, then pulled back again and continued to eat his dinner.

"What do you have to do tonight?" I said.

"I wanted to work on my emails to the staff", said Ranger. "We have revamped the job titles and salaries for staff, and I have to write my email to all staff outlining the new organizational chart. John got that chart to me this afternoon. I have to review it to make sure that it is correct, then send an all-staff memo to everyone. When that is complete, there are a few people that we are increasing their salary, and I have to write emails to them to outline the differences."

"Are you increasing many people's salaries?"

"A few – about ten? Most of them are currently managers who are becoming directors, and their salaries have to reflect this change. Since directors generally have a few staff working under them, it makes sense that directors are given a greater salary."

"That's true. Are you ever unhappy that you hired me? After all, I'm a bit of trouble. You probably wouldn't have had to fire Clive if he hadn't yelled at me."

"First of all, you are never trouble. Second, he yelled at Dirk first. I didn't fire him because he yelled at you. I fired him because he had the audacity to yell at anyone. Third, I have never been unhappy that I hired you. You are an excellent employee, and that is above and beyond the fact that you are my partner. You are literally the best researcher that I have ever met." He finished his dinner and pushed his empty plate aside. I shook my head at the slowness that Ranger ate his meals – it always took me much less time to eat than it did Ranger. I had thought that the army taught soldiers to eat fast, but apparently that lesson seemed to have missed Ranger. He had told me once that the army did teach him to eat fast and he hated it. He said he'd much prefer to take the time to savor his meal. That, to him, was one of the good things about being out of the army.

He pulled me onto his lap, and I snuggled in. "I love you, okay?" he said. "I love you and I have always been glad that you joined the Rangeman staff. I know that Tank is equally as happy. You have developed the Research Department into a service that we can offer and market well. Before you came along, the Research Department was an afterthought, was something that was mind-numbingly boring to do and was something we only did for the sake of our clients or our needs in-house. It wasn't something we marketed. Now it is a whole other service that we offer and, to be honest, it's a well-received service and is one that I am very glad to have. Your revenues account for approximately five percent of our total revenues yet, with your increased staff, you still only account for approximately two and a half percent of the operating costs of the company. You are a huge moneymaker, and it is all because of you."

I nodded and kissed his neck. "Thanks", I said.

We sat like that for a few minutes as Ranger rhythmically smoothed my hair away from my face and I absorbed his peace. After a bit, Ranger said, "what do you have on for the evening?"

I sighed. "I was hoping to do some more review on the Slayer case. I have reviewed three of the twenty names. It's slow going because the Slayers all have rap sheets a mile long. I hope to find out something that Morelli can use though."

"I'm sure that, if something is there, you will find it."

"With the two Slayers that I have already investigated, I could see that the 'loss' of evidence has let them get away with a lot. In one case, it has literally let them get away with murder. In the other case, the two Slayers were suspected of armed robbery. In both cases, key evidence walked off and there apparently are no suspects or hypotheses as to how this happened."

"Let me know if I can help."

"Thanks." I gave him a kiss, stood, and together Ranger and I cleaned up the kitchen. When we were finished, I went into the bedroom and changed into a nightie and Ranger's housecoat. I padded through to the den again and sat on the sofa, stretched out my legs, and pulled the computer onto my lap.

Ranger walked in carrying cups of peppermint tea, and he put one on the coffee table. He carried the other over to the desk and sat down. He woke up his computer and started to work for the evening.

Just before ten, I received the all-staff memo with the attached revised office organizational chart, and a supplementary email regarding my new job and my new salary. "Thanks for the emails", I said.

Ranger smiled. "How close are you to being finished for the evening?"

"Give me half an hour, and I should have completed this name", I said. "It is always hard leaving a search and picking it up again mid-search the next day. You don't always fully remember what avenues you have explored, and you spend too much time retracing your steps."

"I understand", said Ranger. "I'm just glad you had a nap before dinner. I would have chased you into bed a while ago if you hadn't had that nap, whether you were in the middle of doing a search or not."

"Yeah, I figured", I said with a smile.

I turned back to the research and looked into the Slayer's details. He had been wanted on murder charges. Apparently he had drugged his baby girl to get her to stop crying but gave her too much and she died of an overdose. The syringe with his fingerprints and epithelial cells from his baby girl on it was found out the scene. It seemed, however, to have walked out of the evidence locker.

I was furious. Normally I got annoyed with people for being so stupid as to do something like murder someone else. But this time, it seemed worse somehow. His baby girl didn't have a chance. I hoped that he would be convicted and sent to prison. I had heard that criminals who had hurt children weren't treated very well in prison by the other inmates. I thought that he, more than most people I had run into, deserved a little harsh treatment from others.

It had taken me another forty-five minutes to complete the research rather than the half-hour that I had predicted. Ranger had been able to complete another portion of his own work as well, so we were both happy. As we went to bed, Ranger said, "it's now almost eleven thirty. By the time you fall asleep, it will be twelve. This means that I will work in the den until I wake you at ten tomorrow morning."

"I could get up earlier."

"No, babe. You promised." He smiled. "You didn't even have your fingers crossed behind your back. I checked."

I laughed. "Would I do that to you?"

Ranger thought about that for a moment. "Yes", he said finally. "I just hope you don't teach our child that trick."

I paused. "That would be bad, wouldn't it?"

Ranger thought about smiling. "You can teach our child all sorts of wondrous things, but that isn't one of them." He captured me into a hug and kissed me on the top of my head. "Why don't you finish up in the bathroom? I'll use the powder room while you get ready for bed."

I smiled. Ranger knew how much I hated having him use the bathroom at the same time as I was in there. I didn't mind it when we were brushing our teeth together or when I was using the hair dryer at the same time as Ranger was shaving, and I liked it when we were showering or bathing together. However, when I was showering and he was simply watching, I felt a bit self-conscious. I didn't mind it when he was toweling me off, but I didn't like it when he was just looking at me and doing nothing other than looking.

While I had a slight revulsion to having him watch me when I was in the shower, I had a huge aversion to him being in the bathroom while I was on the toilet. Ranger had told me that he had seen all those parts before, but to me it seemed a little gross. In my books, pooping and peeing were solo activities and that was all there was to it.

Ranger was much freer about things than I was. He told me that it came from being in the army, when you don't get a lot of privacy to yourself. Personally, I thought that was one good reason not to enlist. It was, in fact, one of the things that kept me walking a path along the straight and narrow when I was a kid as well. Bathroom use in prison, like in the army, wasn't a private activity.

Who am I kidding? I would have walked the straight and narrow anyway. No matter how much I like to think of myself as someone with a touch of rebellion in her, I was the kind of person to follow the rules. I always figured that, if the law didn't get you, God would and, if God failed to get you, karma would definitely have the last laugh. Any bad behavior would be punished in some way, no matter what, and because of that, it didn't make sense to break the law


	10. Chapter 10

Ranger woke me at ten-thirty the next day and apologized for the lateness. "I was on a call, babe, and was unable to come wake you at ten like I promised. However, you'll be pleased to know that I made you a fruit salad for breakfast."

I sat up and pushed my hair out of my face. "Good morning", I said in a sleep-roughened voice.

Ranger smiled and kissed me on my forehead. "Good morning." He inspected my face with satisfaction. "I think the dark circles under your eyes are starting to lighten."

I smiled. "Get used to me having dark circles", I said. "From what I can tell from Val and Mary Lou, dark circles go hand-in-hand with motherhood." Valerie was my sister and Mary Lou was my childhood best friend who had, despite our lives drastically differing from each other over the years, remained a good friend.

Ranger laughed. "My sisters don't seem to have that problem."

"Your sisters have inherited the Manoso 'good looks' gene, which means that they will look good no matter what. They could be cleaning the oven or picking up poop when they were out for a walk with their dog. No matter what they do, they will look good when doing it." I looked at him. "I, however, have no such gene. I hope our kids take after you."

Ranger grinned. "I hope they do as well. If we ever had a girl and she takes after you, I'll never be able to keep the boys away from her. I will grow old before my time just from worrying about her."

I smiled. "If she looks like you, she'll be a Latino beauty that could stop a man's heart with a single look. You would have more of a problem with the boys loving her than you would if she looked like me."

Ranger snorted. He obviously didn't believe me, simply because he didn't think of himself as being particularly good looking. He never really noticed the women ogling him when he walked by, and for someone as observant as he was it was a bit of a surprise. If you asked him, he would be able to describe the women who had been ogling him down to the last button on their clothes and their last freckle of their face, but he wouldn't be able to identify which of the women were interested in him. The answer to that question, of course, was easy. All of them were.

I had teased him once and told him that he must have been a dog in the army, that women all around would have wanted a piece of his hot body. It was the only time I had ever seen Ranger laugh until he was crying. He just didn't think of himself as good looking and, as such, he didn't think that anyone would be interested in him.

On one hand, I thought that was a bit sad. I thought he should own his beauty and revel in it. On the other hand, though, I thought that I was glad that he was so unaware of his attributes. It meant that he would pay less attention to the women who were clearly interested in him, and he would be less likely to stray.

Having had been married once before and having my husband stray – which was the official reason that we broke up, although his abuse was the real reason – I was sensitive to issues surrounding men who strayed. While I didn't have a murderous bone in my body, I did understand Lorena Bobbitt's desire to emasculate her husband. Her husband, of course, repeatedly sexually, physically and verbally assaulted her and was much worse than mine. My husband just had an affair on me and hit me once and yelled at me a lot, but the level of rage that I had, I thought, might have been the similar. Seeing Dickie on my dining room table with the tramp Joyce Barnhardt was the only time in my life that I literally saw red, and when he hit me afterwards it was the only time I froze on protecting myself from physical violence.

Although, to be honest, I came close to the same level of rage when I saw Clive yelling at Dirk. I hate it when people take advantage of others, and nothing makes me come out swinging more than seeing someone I care about being abused. When I saw Clive yelling at Dirk, something in me just snapped. My mandate was to neutralize Clive as quickly and as effectively as I could. I thought it was a good idea that Clive hadn't been close enough for me to hit. Over the past few months, Ranger had taught me a lot about self-defense that I could have used and, failing that, I had my signature move of sacking him. I smiled as I thought about him rolling around on the ground with a white face and a desire to throw up.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Ranger.

"I just was thinking about using my signature move on Clive", I said.

"Sacking him?"

"Yes."

"Instead I got the chance to sack him."

"Yes, but sacking him by firing him is not the same."

"No, but I can't be charged for my sacking him while you could be charged with assault."

"You take all the fun out of it."

Ranger thought about smiling. "Sorry", he said.

I snorted. "You aren't sorry at all."

Ranger kissed me again.

I hauled myself to my feet and went into the bathroom, used the facilities, brushed my teeth, and walked out of the bathroom again. I put on Ranger's housecoat and picked up my coffee, and joined Ranger in the kitchen. He was in the process of plating some fried eggs and adding toast to the plate.

He put my breakfast on the table and set about cleaning up the kitchen. "Aren't you eating?" I said in surprise.

Ranger's lips quirked up. "I ate at seven this morning. I wanted to let you sleep, but I was hungry."

"Do you know what this breakfast needs?" I said.

"What's that?"

"Bacon. Bacon goes well with eggs."

"Bacon is loaded in fat and salt and doesn't have many nutrients in it. Besides, when you cook bacon it fights back. It spits and hisses and sprays hot fat up on your arms. I don't think you should ever cook anything that fights back like that."

I smiled. Although I loved eating bacon, I didn't like cooking bacon for the same reason.

I got up and retrieved the bottle of ketchup. When I returned to the breakfast bar, I placed the fried eggs on the toast and squirted some ketchup onto the sandwich. Ranger looked at my breakfast with revulsion. I took a huge bite of my sandwich and sighed in pleasure. Ranger shook his head in disgust. "I'm going to have to teach you about food", he said. "First, you tell me that you like peanut butter and olive sandwiches. Then I find out a few weeks ago that you like hot dogs. Now I find out that you put ketchup on your egg sandwich." He shook his head in mock dismay again. "Words escape me."

I grinned. "What? It's good." I took another big bite and chewed, and as I swallowed I laughed at the expression on his face. "What do you put on your eggs?"

"Salt and pepper."

"You put salt on your eggs?" I made a face. "Yuck."

Ranger smiled. "I put hot sauce on when I am in the south", he said.

"Trust me, that doesn't make it better."

He laughed.

"What are you doing today?" I said.

"I'm working with Bob to review our accounts and our financial projections and to rework our budget to reflect the increased salaries and income that we are pulling in. After that, I will work on the office move with Nate, and following that I hope to talk to John and Justine about our hiring needs. That should take me until the end of the day."

"What are your hiring priorities right now?"

"The staff for you, and the security guard staff. We have three companies that we have to staff with security guards within the next two months, and we need to hire and train the staff by then. With this, I hope to have thirty new guards hired by the end of February, and to have them all trained by the middle of March."

"Are they people that you personally have to approve?"

"No, but Sebastian does." Sebastian was the person in charge of all the security guards. "He needs to be in on the interviews as well."

"Sounds like a busy day."

"What do you have planned?"

"The same basically as yesterday. I'll continue to look at the Slayers and the TPD staff."

"Good luck." Ranger took my dirty plate and added it to the dishwasher and put the dishwasher on. He came over to me and dropped a kiss on the top of my head. "I have to go, babe. I have a meeting in ten minutes in my office, and I don't want to be late."

I stood and gave Ranger a hug. I burrowed in for a moment and let his peace wash over me. I gave him a kiss on his throat and stepped back. "Have a good day", I said.

"Should I meet you up here with some food for lunch?" he said.

"That would be wonderful."

"I'll pick something good." He gave me another kiss, turned and left the apartment.

I wandered into the bedroom and picked out some clothes for the day. I had a quick shower and dressed in some yoga pants and a pearl gray and white striped cotton pullover with a boat neck, then dried my hair. I looked at my makeup and debated about putting some on before deciding that I probably wouldn't be leaving the house and Ranger had seen me before makeup-less. I figured that, if he didn't like it, he could go stuff himself. Of course, he had never complained before when I hadn't worn makeup. I wasn't sure if he even noticed. After all, it didn't seem to matter what I was wearing or how prepared I was for the day, he still told me that I was beautiful and sexy.

I made the bed and, just after I settled on the sofa to start my work for the day, Ella walked in to clean the house. "How's it going?" she said as she walked into the den.

"Good. I'm overwhelmed with work, but Ranger is hiring new staff to help out. Including me, there are three people on my staff. Ranger is hiring another four and a half."

"That's great! He has offered to hire more people to help me many times, and I finally said yes to him this morning. I'm going to train someone to help me with the food preparation. I have to admit, but it has been helpful to me to have Ranger cook you breakfasts here himself. He has offered to cook dinner as well. However, it is literally no trouble to make you a separate dish of the same dinner that I am making for the staff room, and I know that you and Ranger are often so busy during the day that it will be difficult for you to cook dinner. Ranger said that the person who has been selected to be the nanny likes to cook. I had worried about that, as I don't anticipate that you'll have much more time after the baby is born."

"That's one of the reasons we are hiring so many staff. We are trying to offload responsibilities so that we aren't so jammed for time when the baby is born."

"Ranger said that it was time for me to offload the cleaning responsibilities for your apartment as well. He said with the increased staff I'm spending so much more time cooking that I don't have time to clean."

"That's true. While we could have someone do the cleaning for us, the entire staff would be upset if you didn't head up the cooking or have someone use your recipes. I'm glad we are getting staff in to help you. You work too hard, and it isn't fair."

Ella flushed and smiled.

"Do you have any names of potential cleaners?" I said. "We'll be looking for someone who will be willing to do the cleaning and, when we move into the new apartment, the house will be quite large to clean. Ideally we'd like only one person to come but, because of the size of the apartment, if they want to come every day for a couple of hours and do a portion of the apartment instead of coming to the apartment every Monday and Thursday, say, and doing the whole apartment then, we can accommodate that. It will depend upon the schedule of the cleaner. The person might be a mom working around childcare issues, for example, and working a partial day every day might be a little easier for her to accommodate us."

"I have in mind someone who could be good", said Ella. "I don't know what her cleaning ability is like, but she is a trustworthy person who seems to have a good grasp about confidentiality issues. She goes to my church and is a single mother. She seems loyal and hardworking, and she is dedicated to her son. He's just about ready to enter kindergarten, but I know that Vanessa is worried about being able to support him. She is toeing the line as it is, and she's ashamed that she has to rely on handouts to look after Joshua."

"Having almost been evicted from my own apartment once, I understand what that is like. I'll talk to Ranger about her to see what he says. If you could get her details to me – her full name, her address and her phone number – I'll be able to pull up her information so that Ranger and I can make an informed choice."

"That would be good. I worry about her. She's a good person who was in a bad situation, and she's been working hard to improve her life."

"What happened to her?"

"That's her story to tell. Just suffice it to say that bad things happened to her and she's doing her best to recover. She has very little emotional support, but she is doing a good job with her son and her son is a joy to be around. Sometimes, when I bake you a dessert, I save some and take it to Joshua and Vanessa. The first time I did it, Vanessa cried. I don't think they've had a lot of kindness in their lives."

"Are you okay if we hire her soon to clean this apartment? The timing may work out well. When we move to the new apartment and it will require much more time to clean the place, her son will be in kindergarten and she'd be able to work her cleaning hours around his school time."

"That works out best for me", said Ella. "You're right. I've been finding everything to be getting a little too much for me, and it would stop me worrying about Vanessa as well. Two birds, one stone."


	11. Chapter 11

By the time I had finished researching for the day, I had completed investigations on another three Slayers, or six in total, in addition to two police officers. The three before were infanticide by drug overdose, and two for armed robbery. Today's three criminals were arrested because of drug trafficking. They were charged under the same case and the main witness, the undercover Vice officer, recanted his statement.

I reviewed the six files for the Slayers again. In some cases the physical evidence had disappeared. In other cases the witnesses recanted their statements. In each case, the lack of evidence meant that the case wasn't viable and it was thrown out of court.

I could see that there were going to be a lot of cases to keep straight. I created a spreadsheet and built in columns to identify the date the crime was committed, the person charged, the key piece of evidence, what happened to the evidence, and what happened to the case. I inputted the six cases that I had already investigated.

I kept going back to Gavin's daughter's hit-and-run. My Spidey-senses were tingling. Something was telling me that it was more than just a tragedy. Something was telling me that it was related.

I went back through each of the cases and put all their charges into the spreadsheet in chronological order. Then, for shits and giggles, I put the date of Gavin's daughter's accident into the spreadsheet as well.

For a final step, I shaded in all those cases that convictions were made in pale pink, and all those cases were convictions couldn't be made for whatever reason in pale blue. Okay, maybe I had babies on my brain, but the colors contrasted well with each other and made the data stand out.

I sat back to review my work. The majority of convictions were made prior to Gavin's daughter being killed. The majority of cases that were thrown out were after his daughter had been killed. There definitely seemed to be a correlation.

I got excited. I knew I was on to something. I just had another thirteen or so people to investigate to see if my theory was true, but in my heart I knew that I had found the link. I just didn't know what I was going to do with that information.

Ranger came into the apartment and walked back to the den to give me a kiss. "I'm surprised that you are still up", he said. "You usually have a nap before dinner."

I turned to him and smiled. "I think I found out something important", I said. I explained to him the cases that I had seen so far, and then I talked about the disappearing evidence. "I put them in a spreadsheet to help me keep them straight, but it seems to me that there is a correlation between the two events, the hit-and-run and the cases themselves."

Ranger inspected the spreadsheet. "Good work", he said. "Are you planning on doing more work on the file after dinner?"

"Yes. I'm on to something and I want to work on chasing this down."

"Then go have a nap."

"I think I'm too wired to sleep", I said.

Ranger took my computer and shut the screen, drew me to my feet and tugged me to the master bedroom. He pulled down the duvet and waited until I lay down. He sat down on the bed beside me. "You need your sleep, babe. The baby is taking a lot out of you, and you need to replenish your energy. It only makes sense for you to nap."

"But I need to keep going on my research."

"You need sleep more, babe. When you wake up, you can eat dinner and then do some work for the night."

"I don't want to sleep", I said. I could feel my lip go out in a pout.

Ranger pulled down the duvet and climbed into bed with me. I flipped onto my side to look at him. "I really need to chase this lead down", I said.

"And this is one of the reasons that you are the best researcher that I have ever seen. You are like a dog with a bone, and you don't give up. But this time, you need to take a break." He snaked his hand under my shirt and smoothed my skin from hip to breast and I could feel my body relax under his ministrations. "I'm not saying that you have to give up. I'm just saying that you have to shelve it for a couple of hours. The research isn't going anywhere. How long ago did Gavin's daughter die?"

"Eleven months ago."

"The investigation can wait another two hours."

I didn't want to go to sleep but Ranger's massage felt so good and my body was relaxing so much that I couldn't keep my eyes open. "Don't fight it, babe", said Ranger softly. He pulled me into his body and I sniffed the comforting smell of Bulgari Green, and as he encircled my body with his arm in a hug and as he kissed me on the top of my head, I felt safe and loved, and on a sigh I fell asleep.

When I woke up again, the room was dark and I sat up quickly. I paused for my brain to catch up to my change in position, before easing out of the bed. I used the facilities and walked into the den. Ranger was working on the computer and, when he saw me, he pushed himself back from the desk so that I could sit on his lap. "Did you have a good sleep?" he said.

"That was a pretty sneaky way of getting me to sleep", I said. I mock glared at him, and Ranger smiled.

"You needed the sleep, babe", he said.

"I know, but I also needed to work on investigating the other people on the list", I said.

"And now you can do it tonight without falling flat on your face. Look, babe. I'm not going to apologize for encouraging you to sleep. You are running yourself ragged, and that won't be of any help to anyone. It's okay to be sleepy."

"I feel like I should be able to rise about it. After all, I'm sleeping about ten hours a night."

"Yes, and you're pregnant. It just makes sense that you need ten hours a night and a sleep during the day. Pregnancy makes you tired."

"I don't know if I want to be pregnant any longer then", I said.

Ranger smiled. "Too late now." He sounded so pleased with himself that I had to laugh. He kissed me on my nose. "Love you, babe."

"Love you too", I said.

"Are you ready for dinner? Ella put a turkey divan into the warming drawer."

"It smells good. I'm hungry."

Ranger and I got up and wandered into the kitchen, washed our hands, and put out the food, plates and utensils. "What did you do this afternoon?" said Ranger. "Did you just work on your Slayer investigation?" He dished up some food for me before dishing up some food for himself.

"I worked on that for most of the afternoon, although I had a long telephone call with Justine. I had sent over the final job description that Miguel, Dirk and I had come up with, and she liked it. She had a couple of tweaks that she recommended, but generally she thought it was good. She plans on posting it online on our corporate site tonight, and in online job search engines tomorrow. She hopes that we'll have a couple of people hired by the wedding in the middle of February." I took a bite of food and appreciated its creamy goodness.

"That's great. Did she have any chance to phone references?"

"She called them yesterday. Since the applicants are so young most of their references were personal references rather than employment references and, as such, were home yesterday and available to talk to. All the references checked out and Justine was planning on phoning them tonight to offer them the jobs. She said that Gwynne and Emily, who will be working in my department, might be a little disappointed because the position they applied for pays better than the position that we are hiring for."

"If they don't like it, they can always turn down the position and look elsewhere for a job."

"That's true. And it doesn't pay hugely less, and you have increases in salary at six months, a year, and then yearly after that. Within a year they will be earning ten percent more and then two percent every year after that."

"With Gwynne, the position pays just a little more than a starting salary for a librarian, so even though she has her master's degree her starting salary is good."

"That's true. I'll be the least qualified out of all the research staff. Gwynne has her master's in library science, Emily has her computer science degree, and Dirk and the two forensic accountants will have their accounting degree."

"You have a college degree."

"I barely passed and it isn't in anything helpful."

Ranger smiled. "I don't even have my college degree."

I grinned suddenly. "I don't know about that. You have your college degree in business, and you did very well in your courses."

Ranger laughed. "I actually do have some college courses in business, but I don't have the degree that has been attributed to me."

"What will we tell Mellie about your background?"

"Honestly, I think we should keep it up in the air like we do for the rest of our staff. Generally, our staff hasn't looked into my background and, if they did, they wouldn't find anything and would just think that they were unable to find something. The only people who would realize there was something up were Miguel and Dirk, and I don't think they have questioned it."

"No, they haven't or at least, as far as I know, they haven't."

"What do you tell Connie and Lula when they ask?"

"I just tell them that your secrecy is part of you. They have made up a story about you, and their theory is that you are a CIA operative. Lula is convinced that, when you leave the country on PMC business, that you are leaving to start various coups. Willy tried to tell them that you aren't a CIA operative because CIA operatives are namby-pamby and you are a tough and resourceful person. I don't know what he thinks you are, but I think he respects the fact that you are secretive about it. From what I gather, he thinks that you are secretive for a reason and he wants to respect that reason. He was Special Forces in 'Nam, so he is aware that sometimes there are secrets for a reason."

"What does your family think?"

"They don't know there is an issue or that there is secrecy associated with your history."

"And Morelli?"

"He definitely knows of the secrecy. He now respects it, but he hadn't always. He originally asked a lot of questions and was very uncomfortable with it, but I confronted him when we got together and asked him whether he trusted my ability to read people. He said he did. So I told him that he should therefore trust my judgment and that I knew everything about you and I thought you were a good person who deserved and needed secrecy in your life. I think, from what he has since said, that he has decided that you are in witness protection – which essentially you are – and that your secrecy works to protect me – which it does. He has now accepted and respects that secrecy and sees it as a good thing."

"Interesting. I never thought of the WITSEC explanation before."

"I didn't say you were in WITSEC. I just said that you needed secrecy to protect me, and Morelli assumed that you were in WITSEC. When we first got together, he had done an in-depth investigation on you to see what he could find out about you. He turned up nothing, and he tried to tell me that it was reason enough not to get together with you. The last time I talked to him about it, he just asked me whether there was a reason for you to be so secretive. I said yes. He asked me whether I knew what that reason was, and I said yes. He was quiet for a moment and then told me that, if we ever needed him or we were in trouble, just to let him know."

"That was very mature of him."

"He had accepted our relationship by that point."

Ranger thought about smiling. "I gathered that."

I finished my meal and thought about having seconds before deciding I wasn't hungry enough. Ranger thought about smiling as I looked at my plate and looked at the casserole dish. "You have to slow down your eating", he said. "It's better for your digestion and, since the stomach takes twenty minutes for it to realize you have put food into it, you eat less."

"You sure don't know much about eating", I said. "That's the whole point to eating fast. You can eat more that way, and when you consume more food you consume more nutrients. It's healthy."

Ranger laughed.

After dinner, I was able to make it through another query. Since I knew that Ranger wouldn't want me going to bed too late, I looked into one of the police officers. He had been responsible for a couple of the arrests that had missing evidence. Peter had also quit the TPD and moved with his family out of the state just six months ago. I thought he might be someone that Morelli could talk to about what was going on. I added both his information and the results of his arrests into the spreadsheet and, like with the other people I had investigated, I wrote up the details of his life into a report. At the end of my investigation there would be twenty separate reports and a summary report. The summary report would include my spreadsheet. For the information regarding the different police officers, I highlighted their information in pale green.

By the time I had finished my report on Peter, I was tired and ready for bed. It had taken me four hours to do his research and to search through all the arrests he had made and his history. I saved my work and got up and stretched. I shut my computer and padded over to Ranger. "Are you just about finished for the evening?" I said.

Ranger smiled and saved what he was working on. "I am", he said. "With it being the middle of January, we are in the process of reviewing our annual budget. I got a good chance to review it and our financial projections this evening, and have come up with a series of questions and an outline of where we want to focus our sales efforts over the next year. I am meeting with the executive staff tomorrow and hopefully we'll be able to have a meeting with all the senior staff by the end of the week. It will just depend upon what happens in my meeting tomorrow with the executive staff. My goal, however, is to have a senior staff meeting on Friday to discuss our budget projections and where we want the company to go. You, as a member of the senior staff, will be invited to that."

"Are you still planning on focusing your sales in the research field?"

"I am. We have started something big with marketing our research skills, and it's a momentum that I don't want to stop. If this means that we need to hire on more staff, then we need to hire on more staff. We need to make this work for the staff as much as we need the staff to work for us."

"How much business do you propose that we'll be able to bring in over the next year?"

"You are currently bringing in almost one and a half million in revenues. I anticipate that, by the end of the year, you'll be bringing in more like two and a half million. Andy said that a real estate office and a real estate lawyer has expressed interest for due diligence work, and he is getting close to hammering out agreements with two more police departments and another bonds office. He has another bonds office in Newark who is interested in having you do capture plans only and one of his sales people have started to approach bonds offices throughout the eastern seaboard for you to develop capture plans with initial interest by a number of them. Research is our current hot commodity. Add in the additional companies that are being signed on and the research that is involved in that, and your staff will be hopping. As I said, you are a big money maker for Rangeman."

"Are the other departments growing the same?" 

"Some. Cybersecurity is growing. We have just signed on a deal for us to develop some anti-pirating software for one of the production houses. The same production house has signed a contract for us to provide bodyguards to them. They will pay a retainer to use our services, and we'll be hiring another three bodyguards to meet that demand. Our Design and Installation Services still seem to be growing, although we are now doing more design and installation in areas outside Trenton. We are signing contracts with various local monitoring companies to meet our demand and will charge the client for the service, take fifteen percent as an administration fee, then pay the local monitoring company for the service. It works out well for us. It means that we won't have to pay any more in monitoring or patrol staff, but will still be able to provide a high level of service. We are starting up the Investigative Services Department as well, and Sales has been marketing our services to lawyers to do research on various people. That will be a joint effort between you and Cal, as Cal will need you to do reports similar to your capture plans for those people he's supposed to be investigating."

"Whoa. The company is really growing."

"I have trouble believing it sometimes", he said. "It's hard for me to believe that a few years ago it was just Tank and myself here in Trenton. Since then I took on a partner and expanded into three other cities, and sold out two of those locations to my partner and just have two locations now. Even so, my company is now larger than it was when we had all four locations."

"How is your partner doing that you sold out to?"

"Wes? He's doing well. From the sounds of it, he is growing as fast as I am. Like me, he focuses on providing a quality service for a reasonable price."

I smiled at him and followed him into the bedroom. As Ranger finished in the bathroom and I changed into my nightie, I thought about how proud I was of him, and how happy I was for him. He worked hard, and it was nice to see that he was being rewarded for his hard work.

After finishing in the bathroom myself, I got into bed and snuggled into Ranger, my back to his front. His arm came over my waist and snaked up to hold my breast in his hand. "You know", I said, "I'm tired, but I'm not too tired."

"Really?" said Ranger.

"I did have that nap this afternoon that someone tricked me into."

"Sounds like a wise person, if you aren't too tired."

"I think I need some activity to wear me out."

"You want to go for a run?"

I snorted. "Not on your life." I could feel Ranger's quiet laugh rumble in his chest. "I was thinking about a much more enjoyable activity."

"I don't know. I think running is a very enjoyable activity."

"Hunh. I can guarantee you'll like this activity better."

"Oh, yeah?" said Ranger. "This is intriguing." His hand started to massage my breast, and my breath came fast and hard. As I began to pant, he hit the money shot. He kissed me on the back of my neck, an action that he knew for sure would drive me wild. I could feel my body respond.

"Oh, yeah", he said. "Very intriguing."


	12. Chapter 12

Ranger didn't let me sleep the full ten hours the next morning. By the time we had gone to sleep, it was quite late and when Ranger woke me up at nine he apologized for only giving me eight-and-a-half hours. "I have a meeting with the executive team that I need to get to", he said. "Will you be available for lunch?"

"Absolutely", I said as I sat up and pushed my hair away from my face and wiped the sleep out of my eyes. I accepted the mug of decaf from Ranger as he leaned forward and kissed me on the lips.

"I've got to go", he said. "I'm going to be late. I made fruit salad and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast, and Ella bought some apple-cinnamon bread to go with it."

"Sounds wonderful, thanks. I would have just had a peanut butter and olive sandwich if you hadn't made anything."

Ranger shook his head. "You are the only person I know that had the pregnant woman's taste buds before she was even pregnant."

I laughed as I sniffed the coffee appreciatively and let the aroma wake me up.

Ranger smiled at me and kissed me one more time, then popped to his feet and left the apartment for the day.

I took another sip of my coffee, then got up, used the facilities, and wandered into the kitchen. I looked in the fridge and saw a particularly large bowl of cut fruit and a bowl with three eggs. Ranger had even peeled them for me.

I took the bowls out of the fridge and ate the fruit right out of the serving bowl. I didn't know what it was about fruit, but I couldn't get enough of it. I ate the eggs and decided, as I finished my coffee, that I would eat some of the quick bread after I had my shower and had dressed for the day. I thought it would be nice to poke away at eating while I did my research.

I put my cup on the counter and walked back into the master ensuite. I started the shower, took off my nightie and, when the shower was warm, I entered and quickly washed. A few minutes later I was stepping out and toweling off.

I decided, feeling particularly lazy, that I would let my hair air-dry. I also decided to go without makeup again. I combed out my hair, walked into the dressing room, and dressed in a pair of black tights and a chambray oversized tunic. The outfit was one of my favorites – I thought it was fairly stylish but more importantly, it was comfortable.

After dressing and making the bed, I settled on the sofa in the den and sent emails to Dirk and Miguel to ask them how their work was going. Miguel said that he was well in target for how long we thought the police searches would take. Dirk said that he was poking along on the corporate start-ups. I told him that he would soon need help because the mutual fund brokers had said that they would, by the end of the day, slide over another request for a due diligence review. I shook my head. Emily and Gwynne couldn't start soon enough.

I sent a note to Justine to ask her for confirmation as to when the two new staff were starting and found out that they were starting the next Monday. I breathed out a sigh of relief and sent that information to Miguel and Dirk with the suggestion that we have Gwynne and Emily train on the corporate start-ups. I suggested that Miguel train them since they would be his staff. Both Miguel and Dirk sent back the same response of "woo-hoo!"

When I had my administrative tasks done, I cut myself a couple of slices of quick bread. I loved having muffins and quick bread for breakfast, and Ranger knew that. To me, it was like eating cake, and who didn't like cake for breakfast? My favorite breakfast ever was exactly what Ranger had made for me that morning. Although, to be honest, bacon was a close second. Or pancakes. Or… Okay, I pretty well liked all food. Except liver. Or cabbage rolls. I mean, who eats cooked cabbage? It was limp and slimy. Coleslaw, sure. Then cabbage was good. But cooked? You don't eat cooked lettuce, so why do you eat cooked cabbage?

I had espoused my views to Ranger about cooked cabbage, and he pointed out to me that I liked creamed spinach and it was very much like cooked lettuce. I pointed out to him that creamed spinach tasted good.

But it wasn't even just the cabbage in the cabbage rolls that I didn't like. I didn't like the tomato sauce in the cabbage rolls either. After all, I might not enjoy it but I would eat boiled cabbage when it was boiled in the broth from a picnic shoulder or a cottage roll. Then it was acceptable. But red sauce was supposed to be served on pasta, not on cabbage. There were rules to life, and red sauce on cabbage was one of the no-nos.

Unfortunately, my mother didn't agree and I had to sit through many meals as a child staring at the loathsome cabbage rolls on my plate, me listening to my mother telling me that a starving child in Africa would have been grateful to eat them, and me wishing I was a child in Africa so that I wouldn't have to. Now that I was an adult, my mother still didn't understand how much I hated cabbage rolls. However, I had told her that Ranger didn't like them and my mother, determined to ensure that Ranger liked her, made sure she didn't serve them for dinner when we came. I had consequently decided that I would never go to dinner again without Ranger there to run interference.

I bit into the piece of apple-cinnamon bread and sighed. Ella had picked it up for us the day before, and it was flavorful and moist, had chunks of apples in it and lots of cinnamon-y goodness. I smiled and thought that I might be having more after I finished my two slices.

I turned to the research again, and delved into another Slayer's life. He had been arrested for being a pimp. He represented fifteen girls and had gotten each one addicted to drugs. The oldest of the girls was sixteen years old, and he was known for having the youngest hookers around. Apparently there was a demand for child 'hos. I was angry that he hadn't been convicted. I would have liked to have seen what happened to him in prison.

I wasn't finished the file by the time that Ranger came up for lunch, despite him coming up late. He apologized for being delayed. "My meeting with the executive team went a little long", he said. He placed two sandwiches, cut vegetables and orange juice on the breakfast bar and gathered me in his arms to give me a kiss.

"It wasn't a problem", I said. "I've been knee-deep in research anyway."

"Did you find out anything useful?"

"I found out a lot. I don't know how useful it is, but I found out a lot. How did your meeting go this morning?"

"We have our budget set and approved for this year, including everyone's new salaries. Bob is just going to put it into a final version for final approval by each of us, but it is done. I'm glad. It's not a task that I particularly enjoy. I'm glad we have a Chief Financial Officer to do that work."

I laughed. "I'm just glad that I only had to approve the research budget. I can't imagine having to do it for the entire company."

Ranger thought about smiling. "You feel my pain."

I poured us each a glass of milk and sat down beside him. He had selected a chicken, avocado and cucumber sandwich for me, and a roast beef and provolone sandwich for himself. I'd had one of Ella's chicken, avocado and cucumber sandwiches the week before and loved it and, whenever we had lunch and there was one available ever since, Ranger had scooped it up for me.

I unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite, and moaned in pleasure. Ranger looked at me with a half-smile on his face and his eyes went dark with desire. "What?" I said.

"Watching you eat is incredibly hot", he said. "Hearing your little moans of enjoyment gets me going every time."

I wrinkled my nose. I didn't want to say it, but that didn't sound too attractive to me. Hearing my moans of enjoyment made me sound more like a piggy than a sexy woman.

Ranger thought about smiling and took a bite of his own sandwich. He chewed and swallowed before looking at me. "Gets me hot. Every. Single. Goddamned. Time."

I smiled. "Do you want to go to bed together for a few minutes before getting going for the afternoon?"

Ranger smiled. "While I would love to take you up on the offer, I have a meeting in fifteen minutes that I have to get to, and I'd still like to finish my lunch."

"That's okay", I said. "I can work with fifteen minutes. It won't take me long at all. My money says that you could get me off in under five."

"Really?" said Ranger. "Hold that thought for tonight and we'll be able to compare times."

"How long it would take you to get off compared to how long it would take me?"

Ranger gave one of his sexy little half-smiles. "No. How long it will take me the first time to get you off compared to the second, compared to the third, compared to the fourth, and so on."

Oh, boy.

I shifted, uncomfortable, on my seat and Ranger smiled. He knew what he had just done to me. I shifted again, restless with need.

Ranger finished his lunch, stood, and gave me a kiss. "I might be a little late getting back from the office this afternoon", he said. He threw his wrappings from his lunch in the garbage. "I have another telephone meeting at four-thirty today, and it might go overtime. You might want to rest up. I'm all for setting a new record tonight."

"What kind of record?"

"The number of times we can make love before we pass out from exhaustion." He gave me another half-smile, kissed me on my nose, and looked down at the time. "I've got to run."

I swallowed hard as he turned and left the apartment. "Bastard", I said quietly, and I could hear him laugh as he closed the door. I shifted uncomfortably and, as I sighed, I threw my used lunch wrappings into the garbage and turned back to researching.

By the time the work day officially ended, I had finished the Slayer query and another of the police officers. I was just putting my computer to sleep and getting ready for a nap myself – I had remembered what Ranger had said he wanted to do that evening, and I wanted to make sure I was ready – when Morelli called. "Hey", I said as I picked up. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering whether you'd had a chance to look at the Slayer files."

"I'm still working on them. I've finished half of the names, but I still have a few to go. The police officers are fairly straightforward to research, but the Slayers have such long criminal histories that it is taking some time to research each one."

"Have you had any insights?"

"I have a definite theory but I'm working on proving or disproving it."

"Any spoilers you can give me?"

"I created a timeline of the different cases, and there seems to be a divide from before Gavin's daughter's death and after her death. Before her death, only a few pieces of evidence were lost. Maybe about ten percent? After her death, that number jumps to about ninety percent. I'm still putting in all the information, but at this point that's what it appears."

"That's interesting."

"Another interesting fact is that Peter Yeung moved."

"I remember him. He was a good guy. His wife's parents needed more support than they had, and they moved down to Arizona to look after them."

"I just find it interesting that he had a few cases with the Slayers that didn't have evidence lost, then Gavin's daughter died, then Peter had a couple of cases where evidence was lost and then he moved. When he moved away he had two open cases that involved a member of the Slayers. It could be my imagination getting away from me, but it's like his family was threatened and he was scared for his family's safety."

"That is interesting. It sounds like I should be talking to him."

"It would be good if you could. I could send you what I already have, but I do want to finish the research as well."

"Yeah, if you could shoot it over to my email, I'll look at it tonight."

"I will." I woke up my computer again and attached the spreadsheet that I had been creating to an email, and sent it off to Morelli. "I think you really need to talk to Peter and Gavin. I'll send over their reports that I have prepared for you as well." I attached those documents and sent them through to Morelli.

"That's great. Thanks, cupcake. I know that you and your team have been burning the midnight oil on our files, and I appreciate it. Miguel sent me three files today as well, and there is only one outstanding beside the Slayer case that is left."

"I'm glad that Miguel was able to wade through them okay. This week he's been in charge of doing all the police reports, I've been doing the Slayer report, and Dirk's been doing set-ups. However, he switching over to do a diligence report tomorrow. He got another corporate inquiry request today."

"Miguel had a different signature on his email than he had in the past. Before he just signed it as Research Analyst, but now he signs it as Manager of Research. I thought you were the Manager of Research?"

"I was. In light of how fast our company is growing, Ranger has reorganized the company and added more layers. I'm now the Research Director and Dirk and Miguel have been both made into Research Managers. Dirk will loosely be responsible for the corporate inquiries while Miguel will be responsible for client inquiries. We have just hired two and a half people to the team and will be hiring another two, hopefully by mid-February. Our demand is far exceeding our ability to do the job, and Dirk and Miguel and I will be thankful when the new staff starts."

"I know how slammed you are on projects, and how worried you are about your ability to get it all done."

"It will make a huge difference to all our lives when Gwynne and Emily start, and it will make an even bigger difference when we have the two new forensic accountants. We desperately need the feet on the ground."

"Ranger pays so well that I've heard of officers thinking of leaving the TPD and joining Rangeman."

"I think Cal is going to be hiring someone soon, but he's the only person I can think of that will be hiring who could use the expertise that a police officer would have, above and beyond security guards."

"I thought Cal did patrol?"

"He actually has his degree in Criminology, and we are opening up an Investigative Services department. Cal will be heading up the department."

"I didn't know that he had his degree. Why did he not apply with the TPD?"

"I have found that many people find the structure within Rangeman to be comforting when they first leave the military. There are the same expectations, and people like that. Many of our team at first, after they leave the military, flounder. The way the Patrol staff works is much like in the military and it is a nice step-down as they return to civilian life."

"I can understand that. I found it hard when I left the navy as well. My solution was to join the TPD."

"Ranger's solution is to run the Patrol team much like the army, and to offer free counseling to all staff members. We have a psychiatrist on staff, and we are looking to hire a psychologist in another month or so. The psychiatrist has only been working for us for a month but he is already booked solid for the next three months."

"I have to say that hearing about Rangeman always makes me wonder why I work at the TPD. You pay better, have better benefits and better support."

"You love your job at the TPD."

Morelli grunted. "I do, actually. And now that I have added the liaison responsibilities to my job description, the Chief has given me a bonus for the additional work and I am earning more money than I did before. I'm earning almost as much as my Captain, without the heartache and stress."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"With your promotion to Director of Research, you must be earning more money as well."

"My salary reflects that I will have seven staff working for me. It's more money than I had ever dreamed of earning."

I could hear Morelli smile across the phone line. "I'm glad to hear that, cupcake. You worked a long time at some shitty jobs to get to where you are right now. Do you remember your job at the Cluck-in-a-Bucket?"

"I never could get the hang of the drive-through intercom, and it took me a week and a bottle of degreaser to get all the grease out of my hair after I quit."

"Or what about your job at the dry cleaner's?"

"With Mama Macaroni? I hate to say it, but I was glad when she tried to steal my car. After all, if it hadn't been for her, my car would have blown up with me in it." I had worked for Mama Macaroni's family in the dry cleaner's for less than a week. Mama Macaroni threw a temper tantrum over something I had supposedly done, and she took my car keys so that she could steal my car. The upshot was that someone had put a bomb in my car and, when Mama Macaroni started it up, the car exploded. It had been big news in the neighborhood.

"See? That's what I'm saying. You've had some terrible jobs in your lifetime, so I'm glad you now have a good one."

I hung up the phone shortly afterwards, and wearily turned to the bedroom. I pulled down the duvet, climbed in, and shut my eyes, but before I could fall asleep Ranger walked into the apartment. He walked through to the bedroom and peeked in, and I opened my eyes and smiled at him. "Join me?" I said.

Ranger smiled a sexy smile and came the full way into the bedroom. "I'm surprised you're not asleep yet", he said.

"I would have been, but Morelli called me just as I was shutting everything down and I talked to him for a few minutes. He wanted a preview of the spreadsheet that I've been creating."

"How is your spreadsheet coming?" he said as he got into the bed and pulled me over to him.

"Good. I'm been able to get through about half of the names. I hope to be done by the end of the week."

"Remember that we have that meeting for all senior staff on Friday."

"I saw the meeting invitation. How did your afternoon go?"

"We got three service providers signed up. One in Newark, one in Atlantic City and the last in Philadelphia. The contracts will go out tomorrow, but the details have all been hammered out and agreed to verbally. These companies will provide the monitoring and patrol services so that we can do designs and implementations in those cities. I have signed up the one in Newark to monitor and patrol my parents' restaurant."

"That's fabulous! Are you happy with them?"

"We are. Tank and I were quite impressed with the people we selected. We were in interviews all afternoon, but the three we selected have similar corporate values as ours, with an emphasis on quality and customer service. We were able to hammer out deals that I think are good for both parties. With what the companies are charging us to provide the monitoring and patrol services, we can keep twenty percent of the service fee rather than the fifteen percent we had originally thought and, although we are charging more, we'll still be able to pass savings on to our clients. Andy will be happy. Now we'll be better able to market our services in centers other than in Trenton. I sent an email to Andy just before I came up. I think it will make his day tomorrow."

"I can imagine. He will be able to dedicate a salesperson to each city to market our services."

"Tank and I are planning on doing the same thing in other cities as well. We have interviews set up with service providers in Pittsburg, Allentown and Erie in Pennsylvania, and Paterson and Elizabeth here in New Jersey tomorrow."

"That's exciting."

"It is, and maybe more importantly, we have some service providers in New York City that are interested in hiring us to do some design work for them. I talked to them on the phone today as well, and I have Emmy drawing up a contract for them to sign."

"So it has been a successful day."

"It has." Ranger slipped his hand underneath my shirt and rubbed his hand up and down my skin, leaving a trail of blazing heat. I kissed him on his neck, and he flicked my bra undone. "How tired are you?" he said.

"I think I'm waking up." Ranger smiled slightly and pushed my bra aside and flicked me with his fingers.

"I think parts of you are waking up faster than others", said Ranger.

"I think", I said as I snaked my hands down into his pants and started to stroke, "that parts of you are waking up faster than others as well."

Ranger smiled. "Let's put our parts together and see what we come up with."

"We did that once, I think, and now we're pregnant."

"You mean you can't remember? I think I'm doing something wrong."

"You know what they say. Practice makes perfect."


	13. Chapter 13

Ranger showed me that he didn't need any practice twice before dinner, and twice more before we went to sleep. As we cuddled in bed following our fourth time, I told him that he could practice with me anytime, and that to become an expert one needed to practice often. I could feel him smile as he kissed me on the money shot again – the back of my neck – and I sighed. I was so tired it was barely making an impact, and I shut my eyes and drifted into sleep as his hand moved south.

The next morning, I slept through Ranger getting out of bed for the day. I slept through him coming back from his workout and his shower and him making breakfast. I woke up when Ranger kissed me awake at eight o'clock. "I'm sorry, babe. I can't let you sleep later."

"I'm awake", I said as I blearily opened my eyes. I sat up, my eyes still closed, and held out my hands.

Ranger placed my coffee cup in my hands and wrapped my fingers around it. I brought it to my face and sniffed, and let the smell wake up my brain.

"Do you remember last night?" he said.

For some reason I thought that was a loaded question. It was the kind of question you parents asked when you had come home plastered and threw up all over the living room carpet. Not that it had ever happened to me – much. After the first and only time I did that, I decided I didn't like to get drunk. The resulting hangover was bad enough, but it was my parents making me get down on my hands and knees and clean the carpet while I had that hangover that really reinforced the message.

"Yes?" I said.

"We didn't break our record."

"Pardon me?" Perhaps it was just because I had just woken up, but I wasn't following the conversation.

"Our record was that we could make love six times before we passed out from exhaustion."

"How many times did we make love last night?"

"Four. You fell asleep in the middle of the fifth."

Oh.

"I'm sorry", I said.

Ranger smiled. "It was my fault, babe. I didn't take offense to it. I just felt bad for pushing you so hard."

I smiled. "But I like it when you push me hard."

Ranger huffed out a laugh. "Anyway, I just wanted to apologize to you for pushing you as hard as I did."

"Just for the record, I loved all four times last night and I'm sure I would have loved a fifth as well."

"Just chalk it up to one of the negatives about pregnancy – an inability to break our record. That's okay. I loved all four of those times as well", he said. "And, when you think about it, four times is an excellent showing."

"I'm a little bummed that I missed the fifth", I said.

Ranger smiled. "Something to look forward to tonight."

I smiled. I would be looking forward to it all day. "I'll have a long nap before dinner."

Ranger laughed. "I made the batter for pancakes, and Ella gave me a jar of her coconut sauce to put on them. I can make the pancakes while you have your shower, and by the time you get out your breakfast will be ready."

I smiled. Ranger knew how much I loved Ella's coconut sauce. It was one of the negatives to not having Ella make breakfasts for us. I hadn't wanted to miss out on her pancakes and sauce.

We were still in the midst of changing over so that Ranger was making breakfasts for us rather than Ella doing it, and we were using a little of both people's efforts. Ella was still doing all our grocery shopping but Ranger was doing most of our cooking. When the baby was born and we had Mellie helping us out, Mellie had volunteered to do the grocery shopping and the laundry for us so that Ella didn't have to do that as well. When we moved to the new tower, we'd also be doing the dinner preparation.

I hurried in the bathroom and by the time I was finished I could smell the pancakes in the air. I again left my hair to air-dry and scraped my wet hair back into a ponytail, put on some mascara and gloss, and dressed in a pair of black skinny dress pants and an oversized, pale blue, soft v-neck sweater that Ranger had gotten me for Christmas. I absolutely loved it, and I liked how embarrassed Ranger had been when he told me that the blue brought out the blue in my eyes.

I walked out of the bedroom and Ranger turned to put a stack of pancakes at each seat at the breakfast bar. I poured myself another cup of coffee, topped up Ranger's and, as Ranger poured glasses of orange juice and got out the coconut sauce, I sat down and sniffed the food appreciatively.

Ranger smiled. "For someone who loves food as much as you do", he said, "I'm surprised that you don't enjoy cooking."

"I enjoy eating, but trying to figure out what foods go with other foods and what foods go with what spices and herbs is almost impossible for me. I have tried to cook a few times in my past, and the results were disastrous. I can remember the first time I cooked for Dickie." Dickie was my first husband. "He took one bite and promptly threw it in the garbage, all the while berating me for making him slop to eat."

Ranger's eyes took on his 'not happy' look. "Dickie was an asshole", he said. "I'm sure there wasn't anything wrong with what you made."

"I don't know about that. I took one bite of it and had to agree. Apparently cinnamon doesn't go in meatloaf."

"You put cinnamon in meatloaf?"

"I had asked my mother how to make meatloaf, and my mother told me how and instructed me to put in my favorite spices. My favorite spice was cinnamon."

Ranger laughed. "I can see how you made that mistake."

"I learned. But when I made oatmeal raisin cookies and put garlic in them, that was when Dickie told me that I was a useless cook and I always would be."

"You put garlic in oatmeal raisin cookies?"

"I didn't have any cinnamon left, and by that time my mother had told me that I should have used garlic instead of cinnamon in the meatloaf."

Ranger smiled. "When we start cooking dinners, I'll start to teach you what flavors go with others. You may not ever become a fancy cook, but you will be able to cook tasty meals for you and our family."

"Oh, no. I have learned. Only buy frozen and follow the directions."

"What you need is a good cookbook."

"I had a good cookbook. I left it in the apartment when I moved in here. I found that it made an effective doorstop but I didn't see much point in it besides that." I poured some of the sauce on my pancakes and passed the jar over to Ranger. He poured on some of the sauce, then poured his fruit salad over the pancakes. I thought that was a good idea, so I poured my fruit over my pancakes as well. I cut a piece, took a bite and hummed in pleasure. Spooning on the fruit was definitely a good idea.

"What do you have planned for the day?" I said.

"I have a meeting with Andy to talk about our marketing strategy and where we will emphasize our sales efforts over the next year."

"You're doing a lot of annual review work now, aren't you?"

"It's January. The work we do now sets up the rest of the year. Yes, we do tweaks as the year goes on, but the work we do in January is essential."

"Do all companies do that?"

"I don't know, but I know we do. Because we are getting so large, it is essential that we do this work. It serves as a guide for the rest of the year. I did this work with Russ and his team when I was in Miami two weeks ago. Russ has sent me the final annual corporate plan, and I have to review and approve it as well today. That will be something else we will talk about in our upcoming senior staff meeting. Each of the senior staff members will need to prepare a departmental plan for the upcoming year. It will require a bit of work on Nate's and Tank's behalf to teach all the new directors how to do one, but all senior staff will be required to complete one."

"What is the process?"

"I have worked with Tank and Nate to revamp staff structure and salaries. This will go into the corporate plan. I'm working with Andy to develop marketing strategy, and that will go into the corporate plan. It will be presented to the senior staff on Friday. Tank and Nate and I have revamped our staff vision and corporate mandate as well, and that will also be presented to senior staff on Friday. We will then overview what we need to see in each of your departmental plans. Tank and Nate and I will, this afternoon, tweak the template that we use for the departmental plans so that it is available on the server for people to use. Then, staff will have a week to fill out their departmental plans and submit them to their supervisor. For you, you'll be submitting it to Tank. He will then work with you to finalize it the week after next and, by the end of January, we should have all the departmental plans complete. Tank and Nate will pull their departmental plans together and come up with a division plan, and between the three of us we'll consolidate the two division plans to come up with a corporate plan. Our goal is to have the corporate plan done by mid-February."

"That's a big chunk of work."

"Yes, but it only has to be done once a year. In some ways, it is less work this year compared to previous years, because Nate and Tank are able to get the directors to prepare corporate plans for their departments rather than having to do it all themselves. However, in other ways it is more work in that Nate and Tank are having to teach their staff how to do the corporate plans and what information they want to see in the template. It will be easier next year when most staff will have already done one."

"I've never done a departmental plan before."

"They actually aren't that hard. You have basically already been doing it. You just have to put it down on paper."


	14. Chapter 14

I had a good day researching, and by the end of the day I had completed three more Slayers. I was flying. I added the information to my spreadsheet and looked at it. The new information only reinforced my belief that Gavin's daughter's death was the key. There was a distinct difference in the amount of evidence tampering from before-death arrests compared to after-death arrests. I didn't know for certain, but I thought the remaining seven suspects would support my theory.

I shut the computer down at five-thirty, surprised that Ranger was not yet up from the office. I padded into the bedroom and pulled down the duvet, and climbed into bed. After having such a productive day, I was tired. I closed my eyes and quickly tumbled into sleep.

I slept about an hour and woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. I rolled over to answer just as Ranger came into the bedroom to turn it off. I saw that it was Morelli calling. "Hey", I said as I answered. I sat up and turned on the light.

"You sound like I woke you up."

"It's just as well. It is better for me to get up or I won't sleep tonight. What's going on? You sound stressed." Ranger looked at me in sharp concern, and he whispered to me to put it on speakerphone. I did, and placed the phone on the bedside table. "Ranger is here as well, and you are on speakerphone", I said.

Morelli blew out an unhappy breath. "I'm glad Ranger is with you. I called to tell you to be careful."

"Be careful? Why?"

"The Slayers know that you are doing the research for me. I don't know how, but they know that we are looking into their arrests."

"How do you know that?"

"I just got a call from one of them. I don't know which one, but he has seen the spreadsheet you created for me."

"Did he see just the spreadsheet or did he also see the attached email that identifies me?"

"Since he warned me to stop or you would be hurt, I can only assume that he had seen the whole email."

"And that has the Rangeman name on it in my email signature. Crap."

"Exactly."

"I guess that's why Steph received a call on switchboard this afternoon", said Ranger. "Ralph said that the person sounded very angry, and that he didn't want to patch it through to her so he sent it to her voicemail. He phoned me and told me afterwards as he wasn't sure that he had done the right thing."

"So I should check my voicemail", I said.

"I know that I, for one, would be interested in hearing it", said Morelli.

"So would I", said Ranger.

"Can you listen to it while I'm on the phone?" said Morelli. "I have to know how worried we should be."

"Just wait a minute, and we'll go into the den to access the phone there", I said. I got up and followed Ranger into the den. I dialed into my extension on the phone and accessed my email. I had one new message. That wasn't surprising, as I hardly ever got messages on my work email. Almost everyone I had to talk to knew me and had my cell phone number and would call me directly. There were very few people who didn't.

I accessed the message and listened. "Hello, Stephanie", said a man's voice that I didn't recognize. "You don't know me but, if you don't stop working on the file for the TPD, I can guarantee that you will get to know me very well. I know that you are trying to build a case against us and that you have found a lot of proof for evidence tampering. I want you to stop looking at the case. I'll tell you what I have told the other officers. If this case doesn't go away, what happened to Gavin Singh's family will happen to yours." He hung up.

"That's it", said Morelli. "You're not leaving the building until the case is closed."

"Excuse me?" I said. "It's just a threat, and threats often are just words."

"And sometimes they're not", said Morelli. "I don't have a good feeling about this."

"I know, but I have to leave the building."

"Why's that, cupcake? You aren't capturing skips right now."

"Yes, but I have an obstetrician's appointment tomorrow."

"I can't go with you", said Ranger. "I have a meeting with a new client to go to. I've been trying to set up this meeting since before Christmas, and the client is a big one."

"What time is your appointment?" said Morelli.

"Twelve-fifteen. I was planning on having lunch with Lula and Connie afterwards."

"Damn, I can't take you either. I have a meeting with my captain at twelve-thirty about this issue, and I can't afford to miss it."

"I'll have someone on staff accompany Steph", said Ranger. "Don't worry. I won't let Steph go to the obstetrician's unprotected."

"Thanks, Ranger", said Morelli. "I think, until this case is solved, it would be better for you to send all emails to my private home account rather than my work account. I don't know how the Slayer found out about your email, but the potential of my work email account being hacked should not be overlooked."

"Are you planning on talking to your captain about that tomorrow?" said Ranger.

"Trust me, I am", said Morelli. "It's bad, as an officer, that there is no privacy in our work emails. It puts all our snitches' lives at risk. Did you get any time to do more searches today?"

"I did another three Slayers. They follow my theory – before the hit-and-run, their arrests were convicted. After the hit-and-run, their cases were thrown out of court. I have another seven cases to go, and then I'll be able to produce the summary report for you."

"Any chance you can get Miguel or Dirk helping you so that you are done faster?"

"No. They are busy with their own priority casework and don't have time."

"Okay. I had to ask."

I smiled. "You can always ask. I can't always accommodate you, but you can always ask."

"I'll have Amelia accompany you", said Ranger as he looked at his phone. "It would be useful for her as a training exercise. I'll also have Zach accompany you. Amelia would be devastated if something happened to you on her watch again." Mellie had only been hired a month before as part of the bodyguard department, and so far she had spent the majority of her time in training. However, on Christmas Eve she had accompanied me to the bank. I had been taken hostage and threatened. Mellie had been able to disarm and capture the assailant, but she had taken her 'failure' to protect me hard. We kept trying to tell her that she had done an excellent job and, because of her, the assailant had been arrested and charged. She didn't see it the same way.

"Zach will be able to work on training her further with a live client as well", I said.

"How is she doing?" said Morelli.

"Good", said Ranger. "She's finally gaining some weight, Tank said that she is doing well in her self-defense lessons, and she will be starting first aid training at the end of the month. She has signed up for the medical first responder's course as well as the first aid for child care."

"What do you mean?"

"The basic first aid that we train all staff in is the medical first responder certification. This is a forty-hour course that goes through all the same first aid as needed by those in first responder situations. It includes the same CPR designation that nurses and other health care workers are required to have. However, Mellie is planning on taking an additional course that focuses on first aid in children. Most of this material will be the same, but I'm hoping that she'll pick up something of value that she'll be able to use."

"Your staff is better certified than most police officers, including me."

"They will be more knowledgeable than most people, period. Not just police officers. I also require that all staff get recertified every year in both first aid as well as CPR. The skills are too valuable to not have that regular refresh of people's education."

"The TPD only requires a refresh every three years."

"I think that refresh is important", said Ranger. "Not only are first aid skills good to have for the job, they are good to have in life as well. That's why I require all administrative and support staff to have annual re-certification as well as the front-line staff in Operations. It could make the difference in saving the life of someone's son or daughter."

"That reminds me that my refresh is due soon. You're right. It's something I shouldn't let slide." He paused. "Would it be possible to send me your revised spreadsheet tonight, cupcake?"

"I will. I hope to get another name done this evening and, if I am lucky, another done by the time I leave for the obstetrician's tomorrow. Do you want the revised spreadsheet now or do you want me to wait until I have the additional person tonight before I send it?"

"Both?" said Morelli. I smiled. "Ideally, it would be helpful if you could send me the revised spreadsheet after each time you add another person. Meanwhile, I will talk to the Guns and Gangs specialist to see what they say about identifying the leader of the Slayers."

"We'll send you a copy of Steph's voicemail as well", said Ranger. "You'll need to add the call to your file."

"Thanks. I have to go. My lasagna is ready to come out of the oven."

"Did you add extra cheese?" I said.

"I did", said Morelli. "I know how to cook."

I laughed. Morelli was about as good a chef as I was. Cooking prepared frozen foods, heating up leftovers from our parents, and boiling water were about the extent of our abilities – and I wasn't so sure about the boiling water thing.


	15. Chapter 15

By the time I was ready to head to bed, I had completed another Slayer and another police officer. I had been able to do some good work and was pleased with how much I'd been able to accomplish.

"Are you ready for bed?" I asked as I put my computer to sleep. I stood and stretched.

"I'd like to finish my annual review of the Miami office first. Is that okay?"

"Absolutely." I padded over to Ranger, sat on his lap and gave him a deep kiss, and I could see Ranger calculating how long it would take him to complete the review and whether he had time to do it in the morning before the start of the day. I could also see when he realized that he didn't have enough time in the morning to do so.

He moved out of the kiss and sighed. "I'm sorry, babe", he said. "If you are still awake when I come to bed, I might follow up on things."

I laughed. "Throwing me a bone?"

"The way I feel right now, I'd be throwing you a boner."

I laughed again. "Those are the very best bones."

Ranger smiled as his eyes turned soft. "I love you."

I kissed him again. "I love you too", I said. "Finish up fast so that you can come to bed." I got up and walked into the bedroom, changed into a nightie, and got ready for bed, and climbed under the covers. As I closed my eyes and fell to sleep, I thought that maybe it wasn't a bad thing that Ranger had to continue to work. As much as I would have loved making love with him, I was tired and I didn't want to take the chance that I would fall asleep again. Once was a funny anecdote. Twice would be a hit to one's self-confidence.

I woke up when Ranger came to bed and tugged his pillow from my grip. He kissed me softly and wished me a good sleep, but I had woken up enough to realize that I needed to use the facilities. I stumbled to the bathroom, went and flushed, washed my hands and stumbled back to the bed. I don't think I opened my eyes once the whole time. Ranger held back the blankets as I got back into bed, and he gathered me into his arms. "Are you awake?" he said.

"No", I mumbled.

I could feel Ranger's smile as he kissed my shoulder and snaked his hand up under the nightie until his hand was resting on my breast. "Then have a good sleep, babe." I don't think I even was able to wish him the same thing in return before I was asleep.

The next morning, I woke up when Ranger's alarm went off. I was still entwined with him and I had my hands down his pants. I was stroking him in my sleep and, as I woke up, I could feel his body responding. I kissed his chest. "Are you awake this time?" said Ranger.

"Yes", I said.

I could feel him smile. "This is the third time I've woken to this since I came to bed four hours ago."

"I'm sorry?"

Ranger laughed. "So am I. I'm jammed for time today, and I don't have time to follow up on this. I have to prepare for my client meeting, and Ethan and Mike and I have to be in Newark to do the presentation by nine-thirty. I have a lot of information to review before then, and I still want to get a workout in." Ethan was a sales representative and Mike was the head of the design team.

"Are you doing a design today for the new client?"

"No. Ethan and Mike have already done the first site visit and got pictures and measurements and a sense of how the facility operates. Mike has designed a system, and that's what I need to familiarize myself with before our meeting. Today we will be doing our second site visit and I will be reviewing the design to make sure that it makes sense and will work for the client. We will go over our design features and present our contract to them and, ideally, we will sign it today. Alternatively, we will leave it with them and have them sign it tomorrow. Either way, I need to appear as though I know what I am doing."

"That won't be hard for you. You _do_ know what you are doing."

Ranger smiled again and, as he slipped out of the bed, he said, "I have to sincerely question that right now. I'm leaving a hot, sexy, willing woman in bed to go do a workout."

"It's not your knowledge that I would question if I were you."

"No?"

"No. It's your sanity."

Ranger laughed, leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. "Go back to sleep, babe. I'll wake you again in a couple of hours."

He finished in the bathroom, dressed in workout gear, and left the apartment. I rolled over and tried to get comfortable and, as I did, I felt the stirrings of the baby again. It was a little stronger this time, and it made me smile. "Hey, baby", I said. "Are you awake?" I patted my stomach and I could feel the baby some more. "Your daddy and I are going to be so happy to meet you when you are born."

I felt the stirrings again, and then nothing. I think the baby went to sleep. I, however, was not so lucky. The more I lay there, the more I thought about the Slayer case. Ten minutes later I realized that I wasn't going back to sleep no matter what I did. I got up and stretched, and padded through to the bathroom, used the facilities and brushed my teeth. I jumped in the shower, quickly shampooed, conditioned, washed and shaved, and emerged a few seconds later to towel off.

Since I had time, I smoothed on some shea body lotion that Ranger had put in my stocking for Christmas. He had the most wonderful shea lotion that he put on his face after he shaved, and the smell was amazing. I loved to cuddle into him when he was freshly shaved just for the scent. Well, not just for the scent, but the scent was pretty amazing. Clean and warm and comforting, it was one of the sexier scents that I had ever smelled.

Knowing that I loved the scent of his aftershave lotion, Ranger bought me the body lotion in the same line of products. It smelled just as good on me as it did on him, and I loved wearing it. When I did, I often sniffed my arm just to catch a whiff of the scent. The first time Ranger caught me doing that he laughed.

I was just glad that the scent stayed on my skin. Ranger used a high-end body wash in the shower, Bulgari Green, and that also smelled amazing. However, the scent didn't stay on me the same way as it did on Ranger. By the end of the day, I could cuddle into Ranger and still smell the remnants of Bulgari Green on his skin. The scent didn't remain on my skin for longer than an hour.

I dried my hair and slicked on some mascara and lip gloss. Because I knew the relationship that seemed to exist between the number of coats of mascara and the success of my day, I put on three coats. One, and the day was going to go down the toilet. Three, and you could count on the day being a success and, if it wasn't? At least you would go down the toilet looking good. When I finished putting on my eye and lip gunk, I stood back and assessed myself and smiled. It was good enough – 'no fuss' beauty at its best.

I pulled on my black skinny pants, and paired them with a white maternity tank top and a sheer gray and black patterned blouse that I wore open like a jacket. I didn't know why, but I never wanted to look like a slob when I went to the doctor's. I could look like a slob when I was around the house. I could look like a slob when I was grocery shopping or at the Laundromat. I could look like a slob when I was going to my parents'. But I couldn't, absolutely couldn't, look like a slob if I was going to the doctor. It was like taking a plane. I didn't like looking like a slob on a plane either. Comfortable, sure. But not like a slob. It didn't make sense. It wasn't like I was about to see the same travelers again. They might have even lived in another city and the chances of running into them again were just about nil. However, I still didn't like getting on the plane unless I knew that I looked good.

I made the bed and went into the kitchen to put the coffee on for the day. I glanced at the time. Ranger wouldn't be back from his workout for another hour and a half. I had lots of time to work on the Slayer files. I took the loaf of apple-cinnamon bread out of the fridge and cut off a slice, rewrapped the loaf in the stretch wrap, and put it back in the fridge. I poured my coffee and put my feast on the breakfast bar, retrieved my computer, and set it up beside my food. I pulled up another Slayer name and started to work.

Ranger walked in at seven-thirty. His shirt was damp and his hair was wet with sweat. "Good workout?" I said.

"Tank and I sparred for an hour."

"Feel better?" A month ago, I had been shot twice. I had a couple of broken ribs and some bone bruises from the events, but essentially I was fine. I had been wearing a bulletproof jacket. Ranger, however, saw me get shot both times and he didn't recover nearly as well as I did. He had been suffering from nightmares periodically since. I had suggested that he book a few sessions with the company psychiatrist, but Ranger said that he didn't need to talk to Gabriel. Instead, he had upped his sparring sessions with Tank.

"It's getting better", he said. "I haven't had a nightmare since I got back from Colombia."

"You had nightmares while you were away on PMC business?"

He sighed. "Every night, babe. I think it did bad things for me to not be able to see you every day, to not know that you were alright."

"Calling didn't help?"

"If I hadn't been able to call, I would have gone insane with worry. I think next time it would be better if Mellie moved in with you when I have to leave for the week. If you were amenable to it, anyway. It would do good things for my own comfort level."

I got up and walked over to him, wrapped him in my arms and gave him a kiss. "I'm fine", I said.

"I know that with my head", said Ranger. "It's my heart that's the problem." He stepped out of my arms and sighed. "I need a shower."

I watched him as he walked away, and my heart ached for him. I knew what it was like to have nightmares about something that had happened, and I knew that sometimes you just needed to wait them out and be patient with yourself. However, I also knew that talking helped, and Ranger was so closed off that he wasn't talking much. It wasn't helping things and I could only hope that Tank was able to provide a bit of relief.

I heard the shower stop and Ranger step out, and I poured a coffee for him and carried it through. He had his towel wrapped around his waist and was filling the sink with hot water.

I hoisted myself onto the bathroom counter and watched Ranger as he wet his brush, worked some soap into a lather and spread it on his face. I always loved watching Ranger shave. There was something incredibly sexy about watching him scrape off his whiskers. I don't know what it was about watching him shave, but it was one of my favorite times of the day.

Ranger looked tortured as he used his razor.

"What's wrong?" I said.

"It took everything I had to be able to go to Colombia two weeks ago for my training stint. It's just that you're in danger again, and I really don't want you to leave Rangeman. It's even worse knowing that you are leaving Rangeman without me. I couldn't take it if something happened to you."

"I'll be with Mellie and Zach."

"That's the only reason I'm staying sane." He finished and rinsed off his razor, washed the remaining flecks of foam off his face with the washcloth, and let the water out of the sink. He dried his face and rinsed the sink of stubble and suds from the porcelain, turned to me and pulled me into his arms. "You're my life, babe", he said quietly. "If something happened to you, I literally wouldn't want to go on."

I kissed him on his pecs, and he buried his nose in my hair and sniffed. I snaked my arms around his waist and pulled myself closer.

Ranger angled my face up and kissed me tenderly. Tears came to my eyes and, when I looked at him, his eyes seemed suspiciously bright as well. "Promise me that you'll be careful", he said as he leaned his forehead against mine. "I have a bad feeling about today."

"I'll be careful."

He cradled my cheeks in his hands and smoothed his thumbs over my cheekbones. He sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Just remember that when you are out and about today. Remember that and be careful."


	16. Chapter 16

I was able to finish off another Slayer and add him to the spreadsheet before I was supposed to meet Mellie and Zach to go to my appointment. I sent the revised spreadsheet to Morelli, shut down my computer and put my boots and coat on. I picked up my purse and locked the door of the apartment as I left and waited for the elevator.

I took the elevator down to the fifth floor. Having had many meals with Mellie since we had hired her to be our nanny and having eaten almost exclusively with her when Ranger was gone, I knew Mellie quite well. I didn't, however, know Zach. Sure, I knew him enough to say hi to him in the halls, but I didn't know him otherwise. As I joined them in the Personal Security office, I noticed that Amelia and Zach were wearing guns. "We're going to the doctor's office, not down on Stark Street", I said. "You can lose the guns."

"But…" said Zach. He looked at Dave, the Director of Personal Security.

"She has a point", said Dave. "Besides, it will be good practice for Mellie. She won't be carrying a gun when she is bodyguarding Steph's and Ranger's baby either."

Amelia took off her gun and holster, and she handed it to Dave to put away. "What's on the schedule today?" she asked.

"A couple of things. First is my doctor's appointment. I was thinking that Mellie could come into my appointment while Zach stayed in the waiting room."

"I could come in as well", said Zach.

"Do you really want to be in my appointment when they pull up my shirt and pull down my pants so they can hear the baby's heartbeat? Or what happens if the doctor wants to do an internal?"

Zach blanched. "I could wait in the hall."

"The hall is within sight of the waiting room. You can wait in the waiting room", I said.

He again looked at Dave, and Dave nodded. "She'll be perfectly safe with Mellie in the room with her", he said.

"After my doctor's appointment, we are picking up lunch and going to the bonds office. You'll both get a chance to meet Lula and Connie and, if Vinnie isn't busy whacking his willy, you'll get a chance to meet him as well."

Amelia choked. "Whacking his willy?"

"Jerkin' his gherkin?" I said. "That might be more appropriate given the size of his…ah…gherkin."

"Who is this man?" asked Amelia.

"He's my cousin and my other boss. He's responsible for the bonds office."

Amelia looked intrigued. "He tickles the pickle on a regular basis?"

"He's a sexual deviant who spends an extraordinary amount of time in his office watching porn and playing the five-fingered skin flute. When he gets tired of that and wants a more interactive experience, he calls in Mistress Melody for her whips and paddles, Joey for her dog Duchess, or Joyce for her equally-as-deviant sexual side. Sometimes he calls in all three."

"And you know this?"

"I'm his cousin. I'm not stupid", I said with a grin. "It was, in fact, one of the things I blackmailed him with when I originally needed a job and he was hiring. Well, that and the duck."

"The duck?"

"You don't want to know. Anyway, his wife doesn't know of his extracurricular activities and I threatened to tell her, so he hired me to keep me quiet."

"Must make for interesting family reunions", said Dave.

I laughed. "Vinnie is a good guy. A weasel, but his heart is in the right place. Without him, I would have lost my apartment and been living back with my parents again – and living with three other adults and only one bathroom didn't seem like a good idea to me. He isn't a bad person. He's just a sex addict. Luckily for society, he respects the word 'no'. He has found a number of interested partners and feels like he has no need to force the issue with anyone who isn't willing."

"So he won't come onto me if I meet him?" said Amelia.

"I'm sure he'll try", I said. "But if you say 'no', he'll respect that."

"Thank God I'm a guy", said Zach.

"Do you think that will stop him from asking you?" I said. It would, because in all the time I had known Vinnie, I had never seen him swing for the other team. However, I wasn't about to tell Zach that. Vinnie was a good man, if a little slimy, and I didn't want Zach feeling superior to him. I laughed when I saw the expression on Zach's face and, when I looked at Amelia, I could see her smiling as well.

"What are we doing after lunch?" said Amelia.

"We're coming back to Rangeman. I have a number of files to research, and I want them all done by the end of tomorrow. To get them done, I'll have to put on the afterburners to power through."

"Okay", said Zach. "I'll drive."

We said goodbye to Dave and descended to the basement. I handed my car keys to Zach and got into the backseat. I had been guarded enough to know that the bodyguards liked to sit in the front so that they had a better view of the surrounding environment.

Zach adjusted the seat to his larger size and backed out of my parking spot. I noticed Ranger's Cayenne was gone as well, so I knew that he had driven to his appointment in Newark. It didn't surprise me. Ranger was a good driver who liked to drive and knew a lot about defensive driving, and he frequently chose to drive when he was going somewhere. He let me drive sometimes as well – he didn't have a problem letting others drive – but as long as he was awake and alert, he preferred to drive himself.

Zach drove quickly but competently to the doctor's office. It was right down the street from the precinct, and I wondered if I should stop in and say 'hi' to Morelli before remembering that he was in a meeting with his captain soon and wouldn't have time to do anything like grab a coffee together.

Zach let Amelia and I off at the doors to the doctor's office and told us to wait inside. He went off to park the car. "How mad do you think he'd be if we went in to the doctor's office?" I said to Amelia.

"Pretty mad. Why?"

"I desperately have to pee, and there's a bathroom in the doctor's office."

"Let's go then", said Amelia. "I'll text Zach to let him know where we are." She pulled out her phone as we walked to the doctor's office and, when we went in and I was registering, she quickly typed a message to Zach.

The nurse gave me a urine sample bottle and told me that I could go to the washroom and give my sample. I have never been so happy to use the loo before. I could have filled one of the urine sample bottles several times over. I breathed a sigh of relief as I capped the bottle and wiped off the outside, washed my hands, and walked out to give it to the nurse. Amelia joined me when I was weighed and escorted into an examining room. The nurse took my blood pressure and wrote it down, and seconds later left the room again.

Amelia's phone buzzed with an incoming text message, and she looked down. "Yup", she said, "he's really not happy." She quickly responded to his text. "He got to the waiting room and freaked when we weren't there."

"Stick your head out and wave to him", I said.

Amelia laughed.

The doctor walked in. "Hello, Stephanie", he said. "This is unusual, meeting you here for a regular appointment, rather than because you and the baby are in trouble."

I laughed. "Dr. Wilson, this is Amelia Lu. She's one of my bodyguards for the day."

He shook Amelia's hand. "One of your bodyguards?"

"The big man in the waiting room who isn't attached to any woman is my other bodyguard."

"Why do you need two bodyguards? Or do I want to know?"

"There is a vicious gang in Trenton called the Comstock Street Slayers. I have been looking into a case that involves them, and they have taken exception to that. They have consequently threatened me and have told me to stop looking into their case."

"Are you planning on it?"

"Absolutely not. The more I find out about them, the more I realize that they need to be arrested and convicted for what they have done. They are literally getting away with murder."

"So instead you'll walk around with bodyguards?"

"Only until this case is cleared up. Mellie and I work well together and are good friends anyway and, in fact, Mellie is going to be our baby's nanny when he or she is born."

Dr. Wilson smiled. "Very good", he said. "By the sounds of it, having a bodyguard act as a nanny is a great idea."

I grinned. "That's what Ranger and I thought."

"How are the bone bruises and the broken ribs healing after being shot before Christmas?"

"They are doing well. I can breathe without pain now and, unless I stretch or move certain ways, I hardly notice they are there."

"That's good. How about you lie down on the bed so that we can listen to the baby's heartbeat?"

I lay down on the bed and pushed my pants down and lifted up my top. The doctor spread some gel on my tummy and spread it around with a wand, and turned up the volume on the fetal Doppler. Within seconds, a loud whump-whump could be heard in the room.

The doctor let us listen for a few moments before putting the machine away and giving me a tissue to wipe my stomach off. He wrote down the baby's heartbeat on my chart and, as I sat up, he said, "I'll write you a requisition to have another ultrasound done in another couple of weeks. You are fifteen weeks pregnant right now. Your next ultrasound will show the sex of the baby if you are interested. Do you want to know?"

"Yes, we do."

"Okay. The technician will be able to tell you. The baby is, despite your adventures, still hanging in there and, as far as I can tell, is doing well. Make an appointment to get your ultrasound done in another three weeks and I'll see you in a month to review the results and to check the baby's growth."

I hopped off the table, thanked the doctor, took the paperwork from his hand, and followed Amelia from the office. I ignored Zach's glower at us as I walked to reception and made another appointment. As I joined him and he glared at me some more, I smiled. "What?" I said. "I really had to go. Would you have preferred for me to pee my pants?"


	17. Chapter 17

Zach, Amelia, and I bought a veal on a bun each for ourselves, Connie, Lula and Vinnie – plain for Zach, extra mushrooms and cheese on Connie's, Amelia's and mine, and extra hot peppers on Lula's and Vinnie's. Like their sex lives, Lula and Vinnie like theirs spicy. I carried the bag of food out of the deli and sat in the back while Zach drove down Hamilton to the bonds office. I directed him to the back parking lot but, when we got there, I saw that Mistress Melody had parked in my parking spot. I directed Zach to the front of the bonds office and told him to park somewhere along the street. He found a spot five cars away from the bonds office. I was happy. I often had to walk much farther, and having the close spot would mean that the food would remain hot.

I got out of the car and walked towards the office when a shot rang out. I jumped. I hadn't been expecting that. Amelia grabbed hold of me, bent me over, and hustled me towards the office.

As we ran, a homeboy stepped out from between a couple of buildings. He had a gun in his hand. "Hey, Stephanie", he said. "Long time, no see." I looked up. Tyson, one of the Slayers that I had taken in a year before, was standing in front of me. "You have a fancy new title now. Fancy new company that you are working for as well. When I saw that, I didn't believe that you were no longer working for the bonds office. And I was right. "

"So you watched the bonds office and got lucky?"

"Yes", he said. "My homeboys parked on the street and we've been doing surveillance on the office. It seemed only fair. You did surveillance on me when you took me in. I knew you'd eventually show up. I thought it would take a couple of days, but this is my first day and we've already gotten lucky."

"What do you want with me?" I could see that Zach was moving in behind Tyson, and I knew that he'd be frustrated with not having his gun on him.

"I want to ask you nicely to stop investigating our case."

"Why? What will happen to me if I stop investigating the case?"

"Absolutely nothing. We don't want to create problems."

"Uh-hunh. And what will happen if I don't stop investigating your case?"

"The homeboys and I will have to take you out. We can't have you testifying against us."

Amelia tried to insert herself between me and Tyson, but Tyson was having nothing to do with it. He turned to her. "What are you? Her bodyguard or something?"

Amelia smiled. "Or something", she said.

"Don't play the hero", he said. "Stephanie isn't worth it."

"I'm not?" I said. I stepped out from behind Amelia and I reached inside our lunch bag, pulled out a polystyrene container holding a sandwich, and threw it in Tyson's face. The sandwich container popped open and sauce from the veal-on-a-bun dripped over Tyson's face and chest. The veal and bun splatted onto the ground, and Tyson started to hop around as he scrubbed his eyes.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he yelled. "My eyes!"

I looked as he wiped a jalapeno pepper out of his eyes, and I smiled as Amelia used the diversion that I had created, bent me over and ran with me towards the bonds office. As I started to run, another shot rang out and Zach cried out and grabbed his shoulder. Zach followed us as his hand pushed on his wound and he swore profusely.

Lula opened the door to the bonds office and, when we all ran in, she locked the door and twisted the sign in the window until it said that the office was closed. I hustled them back to the rear of the office just as the window shattered with gunshots, and I yelled, "get down", as another spray whistled through the now open window.

"Damn", said Connie. "We just had that window replaced after the last time it was shot out."

"Is everyone okay?" I said.

"What the fuck was that about?" said Vinnie as he crept out of his office. I peeked inside, and Mistress Melody was cowering behind the desk. Vinnie's pants were luckily pulled up, but his belt was undone and his shirttails were half hanging out.

"I'm researching the Slayers", I said. "Evidence seems to be walking off when one of the Slayers is arrested, and I'm investigating the people involved. The Slayers aren't very happy about this, and yesterday phoned me to threaten me. Today they threatened me in person." I pulled out my phone and called Morelli. "Hey", I said when he answered. "The Slayers have stepped up their threats."

"What happened?" he said. I could hear his focused dread.

"I came to the bonds office for lunch, and Tyson Billings approached me and told me to back off. There was then a drive-by shooting, at which point Zach was hit. Then, when we got into the bonds office, the plate-glass window was shot out. There is glass everywhere."

"How bad was Zach hit?"

"Enough that he's going to be sore for a while, but not enough that he's in danger of dying."

"Does he need an ambulance?"

"Yeah. Do you want me to call it in?"

"I will. I'm on my way to see you. Are you still at the bonds office?"

"Yes. We are all lying on the floor, and I have to say that Vinnie hasn't cleaned the carpets from the last time I was on the floor in here."

"What?" said Vinnie. "They just get dirty again."

"I'll see you in a few minutes", said Morelli.

I hung up as Lula said, "they are pretty disgusting. I never noticed that before."

"It's your job to clean the office", said Vinnie.

"You're cleaning the office now?" I said to Lula.

"Yeah. Vinnie added it to my responsibilities as he said that, now that I'm not helping you, I have a lot of extra time that I could spend being useful. He also said that I'm a terrible file clerk, and that if I wanted to continue to work for the bonds office I should do something to validate my employment."

"I see. What do you think about that?" I crept over to Zach and helped him pull his coat and shirt off. I looked at the wound and used his shirt as a bandage. When that became soaked with blood, I threw my coat aside, took off my sheer blouse, and stripped off my tank top. I used the fabric as another bandage and pressed it on the wound.

"Whoa, Steph", said Vinnie. "Pregnancy is doing good things for you."

"Euww, gross, Vinnie. You're my cousin."

"Doesn't mean that I don't notice someone's growing assets."

Lula looked at me. "Pretty soon you'll be a big, beautiful woman like me", she said.

Connie laughed. "Yeah, Steph. You've always looked like your Hungarian grandmother. Now you're starting to have the figure of your Italian one. Next you know you'll have to pluck your mustache like me."

"Euww", said Vinnie. "Too much information."

I laughed. I looked down at Zach as I pressed on his wound. "I'm sorry", I said. "I know this hurts." Zach was white with pain, and he grunted as I pressed down. "However, it looks like a through shot, and your jacket now has battle scars."

My phone rang. I looked down at my phone, saw it was the control room, and asked Amelia to press upon the wound. We switched places as I answered the phone. "Hi, Steph, it's Eduardo."

"Hey. How are you doing?"

"Good. We picked up on the scanner a request for a unit and an ambulance to go to the bonds office. You're at the bonds office. Is everything okay?"

"We had a little incident with a drive-by shooting. Zach was hit and will soon be going to the hospital. The police are on their way. We're all hunkering down on the ground, although I think the shooters are long gone."

"Have you phoned Ranger?"

"He's in a client meeting. I don't want to interrupt him."

"I'll call."

"Can you also tell Dave? He'll need to meet Zach at the hospital."

"Will do. You are okay though?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little shaken."

"Okay. We'll let people know."

I hung up the phone and put my sheer blouse back on again. Zach was starting to shiver – so was I, but Zach was more important – so I took my coat and laid it over him to try to warm him up.

Seconds later, the police came screaming up. Morelli was milliseconds behind them. He strode into the bonds office. "You can all get up", he said. "As far as I can tell, the shooters are gone." He blanched when he saw my bloody hands.

"Not mine", I said. I let out a violent shiver.

Morelli took the few steps over to Zach and smiled at Amelia. He checked the wound and looked at Zach. "Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?" he said.

Zach grunted his agreement.

Morelli got to his feet and took another few steps until he got to my side. He took off his coat and wrapped it around me. "You okay, cupcake?" he said softly.

"Yeah." I started to shake in reaction, and Morelli pulled me into his body as my phone rang. I looked down at my phone. As I suspected, it was Ranger calling.

Morelli kissed me on the top of my head and stepped back. "Why don't you answer that?" he said. "He's just going to worry otherwise. I have to do my cop thing anyway."

I smiled at Morelli and answered the phone. I walked back to the bathroom and went inside, put the phone on speaker, and placed my phone on the side of the sink. "Hey", I said. I turned on the water and proceeded to wash my hands.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I am but Zach was shot. It looks like a through and through but I don't know if he'll need surgery to close it up."

"Amelia?"

"Fine but shaken. She's a trooper."

"What happened?"

"The Slayers are getting serious. They were staking out the bonds office as they thought that I would show up there sooner rather than later. Today was their first day on the stakeout. Tyson Billings remembered me from when I picked him up a year ago." I stopped to gulp air.

"Go on", said Ranger.

I took a deep breath. "We had to park in front of the bonds office, about five cars down. Mistress Melody was parked in my spot behind the bonds office. So Mellie and I got out of the car and I carried the lunches and Mellie guarded me. Tyson accosted me and told me to back off. He said that, if I didn't, he would take me out. By this time, Zach was coming up behind Tyson and I think he was about to capture him, but one of the gangbangers shot him. I took one of our lunches and threw it in Tyson's face, and he stomped around screaming because he got a hot pepper in his eye. While he was diverted, Mellie hustled me into the bonds office and Zach followed. As we moved to the back, the gangbangers shot out the bonds office's window and drove away. Morelli and the cops just showed up a few minutes ago."

"Okay. I'm on my way back from Newark. I should arrive in about forty-five minutes. I'll send a patrol team your way in the meantime. Stay with Morelli until they arrive. Let me know if you leave the bonds office, otherwise I will come to you there. Do not go anywhere without either Morelli or the patrol team."

"Okay. Can you ask the patrol team to bring a clean shirt with them?"

"A clean shirt?"

"Morelli gave me his jacket, because I stripped my shirt off to use on Zach to try to stop the bleeding, and my jacket was over Zach to try to keep him warm. He was going into shock and was cold."

"Okay. I'll ask Tank to come your way. I know he has a clean shirt in his office with him."

"Thanks, Ranger."

"Be careful, okay, babe?"

"I will. Drive carefully."

I finished washing off the blood and, for good measure, used the toilet while I was there. I washed my hands again and took a deep breath, then walked out into the confusion again. Amelia was waiting outside the bathroom door for me, and when I walked back into the bonds office main area she walked behind and to the side of me.

The paramedics were in the process of putting Zach on a stretcher. They had hooked up saline already. Lula was holding my coat, and she handed it to me when I joined her. I slipped Morelli's coat off my shoulders and put on my own, and walked up to Morelli and handed his coat back to him. "Thanks for the coat", I said. "I appreciated it."

Morelli smiled at me as he slipped it on, and slung his arm around my shoulders as he turned back to the computer monitor. Connie was playing the security footage from the front of the bonds office, and I watched Zach get hit over again. I started to shake harder when I saw it all happening again.

Morelli, however, from the footage was able to pull a license plate for the car. He asked Connie to send the footage to his email address but, just in case, the email address he gave her was his home address.

A few minutes later, Tank and Hector strode into the bonds office. Tank was carrying a shirt, and he walked up to where I was standing under Morelli's arm and handed it to me. "Thanks, Tank", I said. I took his shirt and, dogged by Amelia, I walked back to the bathroom again. I slipped inside and took off the sheer blouse, put on Tank's shirt, and rolled up the sleeves. The shirt was ridiculously large on me, but the good news was that it was big enough to cover my stomach. I layered my coat overtop and shoved my blouse in my purse. I carried it out of the bathroom and walked over to Tank. Amelia followed me and, when she looked at Tank, she flushed.

"Hey, Mellie", said Tank. His voice was soft, and she flushed even more.

"Hey, Tank", she said. "How are you doing?"

"Better than you. I heard you had some excitement here today."

"You know, all in a day's work."

Tank grinned. "Thankfully we don't have too many days like this."

"I don't know", said Amelia. "I've only guarded someone twice, and both times have been disastrous."

"I don't agree with that", I said. "The first time you were able to disarm and capture the bad guy, and this time you kept me safe."

"But Zach got hurt", said Amelia.

"That's his job", said Tank. "It sucks, but he did what he was supposed to. He protected Stephanie and he did a good job."

Amelia looked grim.

"Aren't you glad we want you for your childcare skills now?" I said with a shaky smile.


	18. Chapter 18

Half an hour later, Ranger strode into the bonds office. Tank still had his arm around me as the four of us – Hector, Amelia, Tank and I – stood with our backs to the wall off to the side and out of the way of the confusion. Lula and Connie and Vinnie were on the other side of the bonds office, also holding up the walls as they leaned against them. Mistress Melody had snuck out of the office when she heard that the police were coming. Lula was alternating between giving Tank death glares and watching the police worriedly. I knew from experience that being in the vicinity of the police made her break out in hives or, at least, that's what she always told me whenever I asked her to accompany me to the police station with a skip. As for her glaring at Tank, ever since Lula had broken up her engagement with him she had been particularly cranky where Tank was concerned. Any mention of him and her head would be spinning in circles as if possessed, and if he was in the same room I always had to check to see where her stun gun and pistol were. I thought we were safe this time, however. With all the police around, Lula wouldn't dare tag Tank. I hoped.

Ranger spotted me when he got into the office and his face lightened. His eyes assessed me and, seeing that I was unharmed, he smiled softly and walked over to me. He pulled me into a tight hug and ran his hands up and down my spine. I burrowed into his safety and sniffed his clean scent and absorbed his peace. After a few minutes, Ranger sniffed my hair and kissed my head, then stepped back. "Tell me what happened", he said.

I could tell he needed the physical contact with me. As I recanted everything again from the beginning, and this time included the information on the baby and the results from my obstetrician's appointment, he wrapped his arms loosely around me and watched my face avidly. Tank stayed on guard as Ranger stood with his back to the room and actively listened to me. When I got to the end, he turned to Amelia. "Thank you, once again, for guarding Steph through difficult circumstances. You have done well."

Amelia grimaced. "I didn't do that well. Zach got hurt."

"You weren't guarding Zach. You were guarding Steph, and Steph didn't get hurt under circumstances where she could have gotten hurt quite easily. You did your job and you did it well. So did Zach. We always hope that a bodyguard doesn't get hurt in the line of fire, but it does happen occasionally and, unfortunately, it is part of the job. I hope that there won't be the same worry when you are guarding our baby, but I know that you will do whatever it takes to make sure our babies will be safe." He turned back to me. "Come with me. I want to talk to Morelli."

"I can wait here if you want."

"I don't want to be away from your side right now, babe. Come with me so that I know that you are okay."

Ranger moved to my side and snugged me close to him with an arm around my shoulders, and together we walked to Morelli. "What do you have?" said Ranger.

"A lot", said Morelli. "The most important thing, of course, were that the cameras caught Tyson accosting them before the shooting, as well as a record of the gun coming out and shooting Zach and a clear shot of the license plate of the fleeing car. It is like they don't worry about the law, like they think of themselves above it."

"Or maybe they are just too stupid to notice that there were cameras?" I said.

"It's a faint possibility, but I highly doubt it. Ranger hasn't hidden the cameras. They are noticeable and, at one point, the shooter in the car looks straight at them and lifts his middle finger."

"Let's see the feed", said Ranger.

Morelli rewound the feed until he got to the beginning, and hit play. Ranger watched from the beginning to the end, still, focused on what was happening on the screen and, if he hadn't been playing with the ends of my hair as he watched, I wouldn't have even been sure that he had noticed me being there.

When he got to the end, Ranger looked at Morelli. "Did you recognize anyone?"

"No. I'm not too familiar with the different Slayers. You?" Morelli said to me.

"The person I was talking to", I said, "was Tyson Billings. The shooter was Ashton Wartman. I didn't recognize the driver. Not only was the picture not clear enough, but I don't think I have met him before."

"Do you remember what Tyson Billings and Ashton Wartman were originally arrested for?" asked Ranger.

"Tyson was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence." I turned to Connie and called her over. I asked her about Ashton, and she grimaced. "I could have given you their file if someone had filed it properly", she said as she glared at Lula.

"She's just mad because she caught me filing some files under 'G'", said Lula.

"For garbage?" I said.

"Exactly", said Lula. "I tried to tell her that I've been doing it for years, but Connie wasn't very happy to hear that."

I turned to Connie. "You mean you didn't know that?"

Connie made a face. "No, I didn't. If I had known I might not have told Vinnie it was a bad idea for us to fire her. After all, the files were disappearing. I thought they were actually being filed. How was I to know that she was throwing them out?"

"I know", I said. "It can create a problem. That's why I've been encouraging you to scan in all the old files so that we could file them electronically. It would mean that you could cut down on storage costs. Lula could do the scanning. If you did that, I could access the files whenever I wanted rather than starting from scratch with every felon I got. I would just have to update the files then. This would mean that we'd be able to catch them faster, and return them to the system and get your money back faster."

"That sounds good. Especially getting our money back faster. There seems to be a number of people who are outstanding right now. We're getting backed up again. I have five more skips to give you today", she said.

"My patrol guys love it", said Ranger.

Connie went to the filing cabinets and searched for Ashton. She didn't find anything. She went to the computer and looked up their information. "Here he is", she said. "Ashton was arrested for raping a senior citizen."

"What happened to his case?" I said. "I know Tyson's was thrown out of court when the main witness recanted his statement."

"That's true. We got our money back from the courts when their cases were thrown out. Apparently, the senior who was raped died a week after she was questioned. She was choked to death, but I don't think they found the killer."

"Convenient", said Ranger.

"I can't remember – did you already look at Tyson and Ashton this week?" Morelli asked me.

I shook my head. "I have already looked at Tyson's case, but I haven't looked at Ashton's case yet. He was on my list to do this afternoon."

"I'll just get a witness statement from you and then, when you go back to Rangeman, if you could do Ashton's case first and get that information to me I'd appreciate it."

"Will do."

Morelli took my statement, and then thanked me. "I'll type this up and bring it to Rangeman for you to sign", he said.

"Thanks, Joe", I said.

"Are we free to go?" asked Ranger.

"Yes. I'd be happier if Steph wasn't so exposed by hanging around here."

Ranger smiled as I tiptoed up and kissed Morelli on his cheek.

Joe pulled me in for a hug. "Be careful, cupcake. You're my closest friend, and I would hate to have something happen to you."

"You be careful as well", I said. "If they are gunning for me, they are probably gunning for you too. And just like they would rather have me dead than to have me continue on this investigation, they would also rather have you dead."

He kissed me again and held me tightly for a moment, then stepped back. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."

Ranger rested his hand on the small of my back and guided me back to Tank. He let his hand fall until he held my hand, and he interlaced his fingers with mine. "I'll take Steph back to Rangeman in my car. Tank, if you could take Amelia back in yours, and Hector, can you take Steph's? I'll work in the apartment this afternoon."

"You want to work in the apartment rather than your office?" I said.

"I need you near me, babe."

I looked at him, assessed him, and saw the tightness around his eyes and in his shoulders. He was calm, but underneath he was upset and he was shoving it down, repressing it so that he could get his mission done.

He looked at Tank, and unspoken words crossed between them before Tank nodded once and turned to Hector and Amelia. "Let's go", he said.

Ranger and I went over to Connie and Lula and Vinnie, and we said goodbye to them. Lula gave me a hug. "Call me if you need anyone looking over your shoulder", she said. "I could be a good bodyguard. I could kick their asses."

"You don't need to kick people's asses when you are a bodyguard", I said. "You just need to protect me from getting my ass kicked."

"Oh, yeah. I knew that", said Lula. She smiled. "I would be the best person who could ever get my ass kicked."

"As a bodyguard, you don't have to get your ass kicked to protect me. You just have to make sure my ass is covered."

"Nuh-uh", said Lula. "I don't swing that way and Ranger already has that job."

I laughed as Ranger thought about smiling. His hand came up under my hair and massaged the back of my neck, and I leaned into him.

I did up my coat and Ranger walked with me to his car. His eyes continually assessed the surrounding environment, and he walked slightly behind and beside me. Tank and Amelia were sitting in their Rangeman car watching over us as we got into the Cayenne, and as we buckled up Hector pulled away from the curb. Ranger followed him, and Tank followed Ranger.

"Are you okay?" I said. I placed my hand on Ranger's leg, and I could feel his muscles flex as he drove.

The muscle in Ranger's cheek spasmed as he struggled to get his upset under control. "I'm getting there", he said. He dropped his hand and interlaced his fingers with mine, and he lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. He sighed. "If I lost you…" He swallowed hard. "I don't know if I would want to go on. You mean everything to me." I looked at him, and his eyes were overly bright. He sniffled and clenched his jaw again. "I love you, babe. I didn't even know what love was until I met you. Now I know that I would never want to live without you."

"I love you too, Ranger. So damn much." Tears came to my eyes. I gulped in some air. "I was scared. Not when it was happening, but after the shooter had disappeared and I was working with Zach? I was terrified."

"Did you call Morelli?"

"I knew you were in Newark and couldn't help me."

"He called it in?"

"Yes, he did."

"Why didn't you call the control room?"

"I was a little busy putting pressure on Zach's wound." He nodded once. "How did your meeting go in Newark?"

"I reviewed the system design with the client and they liked it. They said that it was far more complex than the other competitors' quotes, yet was still in the ballpark with the competitors as far as cost of the system."

"So will they sign?"

"They are taking the contract to their lawyer this afternoon and anticipate they will have the signed contract back to us by the end of tomorrow."

"That's great, isn't it?"

"Yes. They are a good client. The contract is for their head office and their main production facility, but they have additional locations in the US that they said they might be interested in having us redesign the systems for. I left Mike and Ethan there to do the final negotiations with them with the explanation that my fiancée was just shot at. I'll call Mike and Ethan as soon as we get into the office to let them know that you are alright, and I'll call our client and apologize for leaving my meeting early."

"How will Mike and Ethan get back from Newark?"

"They can take the train, or they can take a taxi or they can rent a car. I don't really care. They'll figure it out."

He let go of my hand and turned the car into the Rangeman parking lot, drove down into the underground and parked in his spot as Hector was getting out of my car. Tank followed us in and, when we got out of the car, Tank parked in his spot beside Ranger's.

Tank got out of the car and assessed Ranger. His thoughts were hidden – Tank had as good a poker face as Ranger did, but where I had learned the little tells in Ranger's mannerisms, I had yet to learn Tank's. Even so, I could tell that he was worried about Ranger.

So was I.

Ranger walked around the car and met me on my side. He shut my door after me softly and captured my hand again, and held it tightly as we waited for Tank and Amelia to join us. "We're going up to our apartment", said Ranger quietly. "Steph needs to wash off all the blood, and I'm sure she'll enjoy getting into some of her own clothes." He turned to Tank. "Once Steph has showered, she's going to have a nap. I'll work out of the office in the apartment. Tank, in about half an hour I'll call down and ask you to come up to the apartment. Hopefully you'll have an idea of how Zach is by then."

I wanted to ask him why he thought he should be able to order me into having a nap, but I knew how close he was to the edge and I didn't want to poke the bear. He was barely hanging onto his temper and I didn't want to give him a fight. I hated fighting – especially when what I really needed was a good cuddle.

We got on the elevator and Tank pushed the button for the fifth floor. Ranger pushed the button for the seventh, and we said goodbye to the other three staff when the elevator spat them out on their floor. The elevator continued to climb to the top floor, and Ranger led me out of the elevator, unlocked the door, and held the door open for me so that I could enter.

Ranger took my coat from me as I took off my boots, and I put my purse down on the hall table. Ranger tugged me towards the bedroom and pulled Tank's shirt off as we walked. We made it into the bathroom, and I said, "shower with me?"

"I was counting on it." He helped me take my pants off, before turning on the shower and taking his own clothes off. When the water was hot, we walked into the enclosure and Ranger shut the shower door. By the time we had finished I was much more relaxed. Ranger had treated me as though I was the most precious commodity in the world, and I was left feeling loved and cherished. When our showers were over, Ranger dried me off carefully and carried me into the dressing room. He pulled out a pair of clean underwear, a pair of his sweatpants, and a long-sleeved shirt of his. He knew that, when something went wrong in my life, I found it reassuring to wear some of his clothes. It just seemed, however, that things went wrong and I wore his clothes a lot.

When I was dressed, Ranger said, "I want to lie down with you for a little while", he said. "I really need to be close to you for a few minutes."

"I don't need to lie down. We could just cuddle on the sofa."

"Babe", said Ranger quietly. "I'm barely hanging onto my sanity. Lie down with me."

He clasped my hand and tugged me towards the bed, pulled down the duvet, helped me down onto the mattress. He lay down beside me and gathered me into his arms, buried his nose in my hair and just smelled. His hands slid up under my shirt and he smoothed his hands over my skin, and he pulled me closer to his body.

I breathed in the scent of his Bulgari Green and burrowed into his body. Then, as I let his peace wash over me, my body relaxed and my eyes closed, and on a sigh I fell asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

I don't know how long Ranger lay with me while I slept, but when I woke up he wasn't there any longer. I lay in bed for a moment to get my bearings, then sat up and slipped out of the bed. I straightened the blankets, went to the closet to get one of Ranger's hoodies, put it on and rolled up the sleeves, and padded through to the den. Ranger and Tank were sitting in the seating area talking quietly, and Ranger looked up and smiled at me when I came to the door of the room. He sat back and indicated that he wanted me to sit on his knee. I crossed the room and sat down, and Ranger pulled me into him. I could still feel the tension in his body, and I knew that no matter how relaxed he appeared, it was still a front.

I gave him a kiss and moved to get off his knee. "I'm interrupting your meeting."

Ranger held me back. "Stay", he said. "You aren't interrupting anything." He wrapped one of his arms around my waist and reached up with the other to pull my head down to his shoulder.

Tank smiled at us. "I was just saying to Ranger", said Tank to me, "that Zach is out of the hospital now. He did not need surgery. He just needed to be stitched up and have some saline pumped into him. He's going to be okay. He will be taken off active duty until his injury heals."

"Is he mad that I didn't let him take his gun with him?"

"Yes."

"It wasn't appropriate going into a doctor's office."

"I agree", said Ranger. "Besides, the bigger question is why he wasn't wearing a bulletproof vest. There was a reason not to wear a gun into the office, but there was no reason that they shouldn't have been wearing vests. Amelia was wearing one. Why wasn't Zach?"

"There are more ways to guard someone than hiding behind a gun", said Tank. "Apparently Zach needs to learn that still."

"I felt bad for telling them no guns after I saw what had happened", I said.

"This wasn't your fault", said Ranger. "If Zach did have a gun, he would probably have shot it at Tyson, which means that the gangbangers would have tried to hit Zach when they were shooting. The way it happened, Zach was collateral damage. They were trying to hit you, but you threw the sandwich at Tyson which got him jumping around like a Mexican jumping bean, and Amelia bent you over just milliseconds before the bullet hit Zach. That's why Zach's shoulder was shot rather than your head."

"It was a good exercise for Zach and Mellie to guard you without guns", said Tank. "When Mellie is guarding your baby, she won't be carrying a gun with her then either."

"I thought, in light of everything that had happened, that you would be annoyed about me requiring no guns."

"On the contrary", said Ranger. "Guns are required by all Operations staff but, like with Research, our bodyguards shouldn't have to wear them constantly and shouldn't rely solely upon their use. For instance, a bodyguard wouldn't be allowed to take a gun into the White House, no matter who he was guarding. Dave trains them in how to guard both using guns and not using guns. I think Zach needs a refresher course. There is no excuse, however, for him not wearing a vest and he will be hearing about that from Dave when he returns to work. I doubt that is a mistake that he'll make again."

"How long will he be off work?"

"Long enough that his wife can baby him and not long enough to get out of paperwork", said Tank with a slight smile.

I chuckled.

"So what happens next?" I said.

"Morelli called and asked us to tell him when you woke up", said Ranger. "He has the witness statement for you to sign, and he said he has received another death threat. He wants you to check your voicemail."

"Okay." I moved to get off Ranger's lap, and he tightened his arms around me.

"Later, babe", he said.

Tank looked at Ranger again. "So you were saying that Bisqui, our new client, has five warehouses and three production facilities in the US in addition to their main one?"

"Yes. We designed the system for their head office and main production facility and warehouse. They are looking at having us also do the security for their warehouses in Augusta, Boston, Atlanta, Little Rock and Miami. They have three other bakeries in addition to the one here in Newark as well. One is in Augusta, one is in Miami and the last is in Little Rock. I am planning on having Russ meet with their Miami operation, and having Mike and Ethan fly out to see the other facilities. As far as the client is concerned, I have done my meet and greet and they are happy having met me."

"So it sounds like I should be arranging for service providers in Augusta, Little Rock, Atlanta and Boston. I'll work on identifying some this afternoon, and try to set up telephone meetings with them on Monday."

"Sounds good to me. If you can, try to find three service providers in each of the cities."

"Would it be a good idea for you to create a service agreement with a provider that works throughout the States?" I said. "After all, there are security companies that provide service in many locations and American cities."

"That's an idea that Tank and I have been playing around with", said Ranger. "However, we like the idea of supporting small businesses, and with our hiring of their services it allows them a chance to grow. We have also found that they provide a better service for a better price, and we can pass those savings on to our clients. When we looked into the bigger companies, they didn't care about acquiring the business as much and didn't offer us as good a deal. If we had added our administrative fee on top of their service fee, we would have priced ourselves out of the market."

"The service providers we have selected", said Tank, "are ones that are focused on providing a quality product for a good price already, and are willing to give us a cut rate for the business we are providing to them and our handling of the administrative aspects of the agreements. We feel strongly that we will be able to work well with the companies that we have selected. They are more personable and responsive than the impersonal larger companies."

"That is something that Tank and I are struggling with", said Ranger. "Now that we are growing larger, we don't want to be seen as impersonal as well. We want to provide the touchy-feely, feel-good, responsive service that we are known for."

"We are debating about opening up other locations just so that we are able to continue to provide the level of service that is a cornerstone to our business", said Tank.

"What would be ideal would be for you to buy out one of your service providers in one of the cities you are breaking into", I said.

"That's true", said Ranger. "My former partner is debating about selling his business and retiring." When Ranger was starting in the business, he started the company in Trenton. After a few months he linked up with a friend in Atlanta. Together, they expanded into Miami and Boston. However, Ranger and his former partner found it difficult having two head offices and, since his partner didn't want to move to Trenton and Ranger didn't want to move to Atlanta, they decided to split up the company and go their separate ways. Their friendship remained. "He has expanded into three other cities, so he now has five locations. Just this morning he contacted me to see if I would be interested in buying him out."

"Can we afford to?" I said.

"Can we afford not to?" said Ranger. "We would have to look into the financials for the company, their product and their client list. However, it could be a good buy and, quite frankly, I have confidence in Wes's level of service. They are, in fact, the people I would prefer to use in the cities that we need representation in. I know their product is good."

"It would allow us to easily expand", said Tank. "It could be a good idea."

"This is a conversation that I need to have Nate and Bob involved in", said Ranger. "However, I'm thinking that we should ask for more details. What do you think?"

"I think it is always worth getting more details and, in the meantime, I will get more information on their quality of service", said Tank. "We could use that information when we are deciding whether we want to go forward with this."

Ranger turned to me. "Babe?"

"What?"

Ranger smiled. "What do you think about the potential of expanding into the other five cities and buying out Wes's company?"

I was surprised that he was asking me, and I guess I looked it because Ranger smiled. "You are a part of this, babe. If we buy out Wes's company, we might have a few leaner years since I won't be earning as much money. With the new building and the purchase of another company, the dividends won't be as high."

"Do you think I care about that?"

Ranger smiled. "I know, but I won't be providing for you quite the same. I might have to travel a bit more. Whereas I only have Miami to go to every ten weeks or so for a couple of days, I will have to travel to the other five cities as well and, as we do the switchover, I'll have to work a bit more in a hands-on capacity until we have a good working relationship built up."

"I can do some of that", said Tank. "I know that you'll have more family responsibilities over the next few years. When your kids are little, you won't want to travel."

"That's true. Do you mind, Tank?" said Ranger.

"I don't mind at all. You're going to be a fabulous father, but you won't be much of a father if you aren't here. I should know. My own father was a travelling salesman, and I didn't see him much. It sucked."

"You can teleconference and video conference as well, can't you?" I said.

Ranger smiled. "I can, but there is nothing like having site visits to establish a working relationship. Even with Tank doing a lot of the heavy lifting for me, I will still probably need to go out to do site visits about every three months over the next year, and every six months every year after. With six locations rather than one, this will mean that I will be travelling about six weeks a year in addition to the eight weeks I do on PMC business. You'll have to be prepared for that if I buy Wes's company."

I blew out a breath. "It sounds like it would be a good idea for the business though", I said.

"If the financials work out, it would be a great idea for the business", said Ranger. "However, the business has to work for us. If I'm spending too much time travelling, I won't be with you and I won't be able to know that you are safe." He sighed. "I don't know if I could be away from you that much and still keep my sanity."

Tank looked at him. "It's ultimately your decision, but recognize that your need to keep Steph close has more to do with her getting shot a month ago than it is based on reality. As you recover from your terror, you'll be more comfortable with Steph being left behind."

I looked at Tank, and although he had his poker face on, the tightness around his eyes showed that he was worried about Ranger.

"What happens if something happened to Steph and I wasn't there to help her?" said Ranger. "I would have been beside myself if I was in Atlanta and Steph was shot at."

"There are these things called planes", I said with a smile. "At least you would be relatively close by in that case, and could be with me in a matter of hours. If you were in Colombia on PMC business, it would take you at least a day to get back to me. When you leave, you leave Tank in charge and I know that I can always count on him if I'm in danger. If Tank isn't there, I can count on Hal. I know that I'm covered and I'm safe."

"I've been thinking about PMC", said Ranger. "I've been thinking that it's time to retire."

I looked at him in shock. "I thought you loved training people and you believed in what you did."

"I do believe in what I do and I do like training people. But I've been finding it harder and harder to leave to do that training and this last time was horrific. I was terrified that something was going to happen to you, and I wouldn't be there to help you. I had nightmares every night, nightmares where you were getting shot again, but this time you weren't wearing your bulletproof jacket. Nightmares where you died. I hardly slept when I was away. I was in a constant state of terror, constantly afraid that Tank was going to call me and tell me that you had been fatally injured. I don't know if I can do that to myself again. I was living for your phone calls and the only time my blood pressure came down to normal levels was when I was video calling you at the end of the day, and I could see you lying in bed, safe."

"Is this in response to the fact that I was shot two weeks before you had to leave?"

"I don't think so. I think it is in relation to the fact that we both work in a dangerous segment of society, one that sometimes has the tendency to come back and bite us in the ass."

"So are you saying that you want me to quit?"

"Not at all. I'm saying that maybe it is time for me to. Face it, my work with PMC puts us in greater danger than if I didn't work for PMC. I hate being away from you. I worry about you and I worry about the business. My heart isn't in it any longer."

"So will you sell out your shares in PMC?" said Tank.

I looked at Ranger in shock. I didn't know that he was an owner of PMC.

"No, I don't think so", said Ranger. He noticed my look of surprise and smiled slightly. "I was one of the founding members of PMC and, in fact, the development of PMC was one of the reasons the government was willing to create my alternate identity. Rangeman owns ten percent of the company." He turned back to Tank. "One other owner has retired as well, and he is now on the board but no longer has anything to do with the day-to-day operations of the company. I was thinking of doing the same thing."

"Will you be okay with not having anything to do with the company operations?" said Tank. "I know that you are a pretty hands-on kind of guy."

"If it doesn't work for me, I'll sell my shares then. In the meantime, however, that is what I'd like to do."

"Are you sure this isn't a knee-jerk response to me being in danger over Christmas?" I said.

"It is absolutely due to you being in danger", said Ranger. "However, it isn't a knee-jerk response. I've been thinking about it ever since you moved in with me. My heart just isn't in the work any longer, and I don't want to be there. I want to be here, and leaving for a week at a time as frequently as I have been has not been working for me. It isn't working for you either. I remember that you told me that you have nightmares when I leave."

About six months before I had to shoot someone in the line of duty and it severely affected me. Ranger said I had PTSD. I didn't know if I did or not, but the nightmares were terrible to live with.

Generally, I didn't have nightmares any more. I felt safe with Ranger there and I slept like a baby. However, when Ranger wasn't there I had nightmares again, and I suffered from them every time Ranger went away on business.

I nodded once. Although it would be better for me to have Ranger stay in Trenton, I didn't like the thought that I was holding him back.

"Babe, it's okay", said Ranger. I guess he could see my worry about his decision. "This is the right decision for me as well as for us. I know it, and I think that you know it. My heart just can't take the anxiety associated with being separate from you."

"What will you tell PMC when you retire?" I said.

"I'll tell them the truth. Changing family circumstances and growth in my company mean that I need to spend more time here in Trenton. As I said, I'll remain on the board and will video conference with them frequently to keep my hand in the business that way. If I find that it isn't working for me, I can either decide to sell my shares then, or I can return to being a trainer. Selling my shares isn't my first choice, however, as the income from the dividends covers my salary and requires very little time on my behalf."

"That makes sense", said Tank. "I know how hard you've been finding it."

"I was talking to Bill the other day." Ranger turned to me. "Bill is the other retired owner of PMC." He turned back to Tank. "I asked him about how he was finding being retired but still having a part in the business. I think it would work for me."

"Did he leave because of personal reasons as well?" I said.

"He did. Like me, he had done a lot that got a lot of people upset with him and, like me, he was growing his family and didn't want to take the chance that his past came back to bite him in the ass. He is very happy now that he has retired."

"What is he doing now?" I said.

Ranger smiled. "He's currently enjoying being retired and is living on his dividend checks. However, he was thinking that he would like to go back to work and, to be honest, he lives in Little Rock. Wes has a location there, and I was planning on talking to Wes about the possibility to hiring Bill on to work for him. However, if we buy out Wes we can hire Bill on ourselves. He would be an excellent person to work in Operations."

"What is his area of specialty?" I said.

"Communications", said Ranger. "My area of specialty is reconnaissance, extractions and team lead, whereas Bill was often the person responsible for all the IT-related aspects of the mission."

"So you could even bring him up to work in Trenton?" I said.

"I could, but I'd rather not uproot him. I'd rather have him work in Russ's position and head up the ERTs in Little Rock." Russ was the Executive Director of the Miami branch of Rangeman. "Like Russ and me, I know I can work with Bill and I also know that Wes didn't have any ERTs in his company. I would like to put some in."

"How will you ever get enough former special operations staff?" I said.

Ranger smiled. "We'll headhunt", he said. "There are always military men who are debating about whether they should sign up for another tour or whether they should just retire. And face it, I pay better."

"And you offer less of a chance to see bad shit go down", said Tank. He smiled at Ranger. "It sounds like you have already decided as to what to do about PMC."

Ranger nodded. "I think I have. It would free up eight more weeks that I could be at home, which would mean that I was only out of town for six weeks a year as I grow our business. That works much better for me."

"And it sounds like you have already decided as to what to do about Pearl Security", said Tank.

"I think, if you and Steph green-light it and if your research checks out, I will go ahead with it", said Ranger. "I think it make sense for the business."

Tank stood. "Let me go see what I can find out then", he said.


	20. Chapter 20

After Tank left, Ranger handed me the phone. "How about you see whether a message was left for you."

I dialed my extension and put it on speakerphone, and listened with Ranger. Two new messages were waiting for me. In the first, the caller said that he would kill me if I didn't stop looking into the Slayer case. "There is more than one way to stop an investigation", he said. "Killing the star witness is highly effective."

I looked at Ranger as the caller hung up. He was tense and still and focused, and like Tank I was worried about him. He had always been so good about rolling with the punches in the past, and it worried me to see him having trouble handling things.

I slipped my hand into his and squeezed gently, and leaned into him until he was supporting me. He looked down at me and his face lightened briefly, and his eyes softened. I was glad to see the change.

I saved the first message and sent it to Morelli before listening to my second message. "Stephanie", said a voice that I recognized as Tyson's, "we almost silenced you today. If you continue in this investigation, it won't be your associate that will get shot. It will be you. And it won't be a shot in the shoulder. It will be a shot to your heart. Think about that." He hung up.

I saved that message too, and sent it to Morelli. When I finished, Ranger pulled me into his body and just held me tightly. I could feel him concentrate on his breathing, could feel him purposely relax his tense muscles. I felt bad. When I was struggling with my nightmares, Ranger helped me through them. I didn't know how to help Ranger. I thought that maybe I would have to ask Tank for pointers and, if that didn't work, make an appointment with Gabriel to ask him for ideas as to what to do. I snuggled closer and hoped that I was providing what Ranger needed.

"I'm sorry", said Ranger after a few minutes.

"Sorry! What for?" I said.

Ranger sighed. "You need someone strong and supportive, and instead you have someone who is scared easily, someone who keeps imagining all the bad things that could happen to you. Unfortunately, my experience in the security industry means that my imagination has plenty of fodder."

I looked at him, not sure what I should say that would help him. I eventually decided to go with the truth. "I know that bad things happen to good people, and although my imagination doesn't have as much experience as yours to draw from, it still has enough. However, although you are worried about me you aren't blowing it out of proportion. You aren't telling me what to do and what not to do. You aren't discounting my ability to take care of myself. You are being supportive. You are being strong. You are being exactly what I need."

Ranger sighed. "I need to make some changes in my life for my own sanity."

"Like what kind of changes?"

"I have set up an appointment with Gabriel. He's working me into his lunch hour tomorrow." He smiled suddenly. "I know that he is booked solid for the next three months, but apparently when the owner calls and requests an appointment, the staff psychiatrist will work him in."

I smiled with relief. I hoped that Gabriel would provide some support to him.

"Retiring from PMC will also help. Working hand-in-hand with Matt is hard. After Lydia was kidnapped last year, Matt has become more worried about Lydia and the kids, and that worry was infecting me as well. Every time I saw Matt I was reminded that you were here and I was there, and I wouldn't be able to easily help you if you needed it. At least if I'm in Atlanta I can charter a plane to come back here quickly and can be home in a couple of hours. From Colombia, the distance isn't nearly as manageable." He sighed and kissed me on my forehead. "Babe, I'm happy. I don't know if I have ever been this happy before in my life. I don't know if I deserve to be this happy."

"Why not?"

"I've done some terrible things. Yes, they were done for the government and were sanctioned actions. But as far as humanity goes, they were terrible things. It feels like there should be some punishment for them. Instead I am rewarded with a relationship as wonderful as ours. I keep waiting for my punishment to start."

"That reminds me of a story. There was an old man who was dying, and he asked for his priest to attend his hospital bedside. When the priest came, he said to the Father, 'I am a terrible person. I was a soldier in the Second World War and I killed many people.' The Father said, 'you are a good person, my son. When the war ended you worked tirelessly to grow your business. You gave ten percent of your net profits to the homeless shelters and you volunteered in the soup kitchens once a week. You were a Big Brother to three troubled youths, and you coached basketball in your spare time. You hire people from all walks of life and you treat people well. You believe in people and the power of people. Yes, seventy years ago you committed atrocities – but it's not what you did seventy years ago that matters. It's what you've done since.' You've repented, Ranger. You're a good man."

"I try to be."

"Let's talk about what you've done since leaving the army. You've started a business that you have grown from two people to almost four hundred, if you include your two locations. You have employed almost four hundred ex-soldiers and given them a place to belong and a sense of pride. Many of those people would be struggling without you. You have protected countless people personally, and your company has protected thousands more. Knowing you, I suspect that you donate money to charities."

Ranger flushed.

"How much money did you donate to charities last year?"

"Twenty-five percent of my net income", said Ranger quietly. "I only donate to two charities though."

I looked at him in surprise. I suspected, knowing the kind of person he was, that he gave back to society. I just never realized that he gave so much. "Where do you donate?"

"Ten percent of my donation money I give to the police to buy proper equipment, and I give the remaining ninety percent to the youth groups in the area, to pay for programming to help get the kids off the street." He smiled. "Largely through the youth groups, we've been able to reduce crime in this area significantly. The youth groups give kids a place to go after school. Healthy afterschool snacks are served, and it is free to all kids in the neighborhood. This is now one of the safer neighborhoods in Trenton to reside in."

"It sounds like Ase. I've seen their ads around town."

Ranger smiled. "It is Ase. I'm on the board of directors for the program and, through the efforts of the local business owners, we raise over a million dollars annually to go towards supporting youth in the area."

"How did you come up with the name 'Ase'?"

"It stands for Afterschool Experiences."

"I'm learning so much about you that I didn't know. I mean, I knew that you owned your own business and I knew that you also had your Miami location. I knew that you used to have two other locations and you sold them off. But what I didn't know was that you were on the board and were part-owner of PMC. I didn't know that you were on the board or even have anything to do with Ase. Are there any other associations I should be aware of?"

Ranger flushed. "No", he said. "I'm not doing anything special. I'm just taking care of my business."

"Uh-hunh."

"Seriously. By paying for youth programs, I am making the area where my business is located safer. By donating to the police association I am developing good relations with the TPD. It makes sense for me to put money towards those things."

"If you believe that, I have some swamp land to sell to you."

Ranger flushed again.

"Seriously, Ranger. You can tell me that you do it for the good of your company, but I know you do it because you feel it is the right thing to do."

"I had supportive parents growing up, but still got involved in a gang anyway. Many of the gang members were in the gang because they didn't have supportive people to go home to. They turned to drugs because they didn't have anywhere to exercise or people to encourage them to do so, and because it was an escape from the hopelessness of their future. They turned to crime because they were hungry. I try to address this through Ase."

"I don't know that much about the program. Can you tell me about it?"

Ranger's eyes lit up. "It's a program that has spread around the city, but started in our neighborhood here. It works with the existing schools and acts as a drop-in program. It is totally free. The schools donate the space and the utilities used. Athletic programs are offered, as well as homework assistance programs, music programs, and art programs. It is talked about in high school and teenagers are encouraged to volunteer to lead programs, or just to drop in and belong somewhere. The teachers in the childcare classes at Douglass College also ask for volunteers and, as we tell the volunteer leaders, we may not be able to pay them but we can offer them a good reference for their work. We have paid leaders as well, who supervise the volunteers and the kids. In the three years since we started the program, the percentage of youth crime has gone down by fifty percent while demand for our programs has increased by thirty-two percent. Every elementary school in the area now offers an Ase program, and every high school has a first aid and CPR course taught twice a year after school. Their first aid course goes farther than the standard first aid. In addition to the first aid they have people in to talk about what to do when you have a friend who has overdosed, how to recognize the signs of someone who has been using drugs, how to deal with someone who is drunk, and so on. The program gives hands-on applicable and non-judgmental advice on what to do. The police have reported a decrease in drug and alcohol use in teens, and a significant reduction in substance abuse-related deaths, and I'd like to think that part of that is because of the Ase programs."

"I think you should tell all your staff about your involvement in Ase. Perhaps there are some Rangeman employees will want to get involved in the program as well, and I would say that every single staff member that you have would be an excellent role model for the youth in the neighborhood."

"I don't want it to be known of my involvement. I'm not doing it for the accolades. I'm doing it because it is something I believe in, something that I think is important to do. I'm paying forward the support that my family gave to me when I got in trouble. Not every child has that sort of support at home, so I try to provide that through Ase."

"And that's why I say that you are a good man. You don't do what you do because you think people will look upon you better. You do it because you believe, in your heart, that it is the right thing for you to do."

Ranger flushed again. "Let's phone Morelli", he said. "He's probably chomping at the bit, wondering if you are awake yet."

And just like that, I knew that Ranger was too uncomfortable with praise to continue that conversation. He was so used to thinking of himself as a horrible person that he couldn't see the vast well of good in him, or the many ways he helped others. I hoped that Gabriel would be able to help him see himself more clearly, that he would be able to take the blinders off and give Ranger the ability to see his life for what it was – a loving and giving one lived by a selfless and honorable man.


	21. Chapter 21

Morelli arrived in time for dinner, and Ranger asked him whether he would like to stay. "I asked Ella to make extra in case you were available", he said.

Morelli smiled. "Ella's cooking beats the pizza I was planning on picking up at Pino's on the way home any day", he said.

Ranger smiled. "That's good", said Ranger. "Ella should be here in about half an hour."

"I'm glad. I'm hungry", I said.

"Did you ever get lunch?" said Morelli. "I know that you threw your lunch at Tyson."

"No. Although Lula wanted to eat her sandwich anyway, the rest of us were all concerned about the amount of broken glass around and the potential that it got into the food. We wouldn't let her eat hers either, which she wasn't very happy about. She said that she was a stress-eater and being surrounded by that many police was a very stressful situation for her."

"So she didn't get lunch either?" asked Ranger. He went to the fridge and took out an herbed cream cheese. He pulled some crackers from the cupboard, got out a knife, and spread some cheese on a cracker. He handed the prepared cracker to me. "Have an appetizer", he said.

I took the cracker from him and chewed. I hadn't wanted to tell Ranger earlier that I was as hungry as I was. He was opening up in ways that he had never opened up before, and I hadn't wanted to stop the flow of words.

"No, she didn't eat lunch", I said when my mouth was empty. Ranger handed me another cracker. "However, she had her emergency stash of junk food in her desk, and I'm sure that tided her over."

"What was in her emergency stash?" said Ranger. He smiled slightly. "Or do I want to know?"

"I'm not sure if you do." I laughed. "She ate a bag of chocolate raisins, a bag of corn chips, and a package of beef jerky. It was healthy. The raisins are a fruit, the corn chips are a grain and the beef jerky is a protein."

""It doesn't matter how you dress it, it's not healthy, babe. I'm surprised she didn't need to throw up", said Ranger as he stopped preparing crackers and stared at me.

I smiled. "Lula's stomach is junk-tolerant. Her stomach is even more junk-tolerant than mine, and that is saying something. She'll probably go by Cluck-in-a-Bucket for a family special on the way home."

"Who will she share the family special with?" said Ranger. I just looked at him. "Gotcha. Stupid question."

"If she was sharing the meal with someone", I said, "she'd order two family specials and finish off the leftovers from the other meal."

"I'm always surprised that she isn't bigger than she is", said Morelli. "With the large quantities she eats mixed with the little quantity she exercises, you would think that she'd be at least five hundred pounds."

"She says it's a good metabolism."

"She has to have the best metabolism in the world", said Ranger as he prepared another cracker for me.

"What about everyone else?" I said as I took the cracker from him. I gestured to the cracker package and the cheese. "Doesn't anyone else want some?"

"I had lunch before you called me", said Morelli.

"I didn't have lunch, but I'm not pregnant", said Ranger. "I can wait an additional twenty minutes. However, for you, it isn't wise to get too hungry. Your blood sugars will drop too fast and you'll become lightheaded, and that is dangerous." He prepared another cracker and handed it to me.

I took it and ate it, but told him that I didn't want any more. "I want to save room for dinner", I said. "Ella said she was making one of my favorites."

"What do you think it is?" said Morelli.

"I don't know", I said. "Everything she makes is my favorite."

Ranger laughed. "You are another person that I don't understand as to why you aren't as big as a house. Sure, you don't eat the quantities that Lula eats, but you do enjoy food immensely."

"The difference is that I eat and enjoy fruits and vegetables in addition to starches and meats. Lula believes that eating fresh fruits and vegetables makes you gassy and she avoids them as often as she can. And although I like my desserts, I only eat excessive amounts of them when I am under stress."

"Then you'll be glad to know that I asked Ella to make an especially good dessert this afternoon", he said.

I smiled, and Morelli laughed and shook his head when he saw my face.

"Do you know what she made?" I asked.

Ranger smiled. "Ella wouldn't tell me, but she said that she thought you'd like it. She said I would like it as well."

"Maybe fresh fruit with whipped cream?" I said. "She knows how much I have been enjoying the fresh fruit lately."

"I don't know", said Ranger. "I have to say, she has me curious."

"You never said", said Morelli. "How did the obstetrician's go today?"

I smiled. "It went well. The doctor listened to the peanut's heartbeat, and it was nice and strong and fast. He told me how fast it was and I can't remember what it was, but it seemed far too fast to me. He said that it was supposed to be fast though. Amelia came into my appointment with me, and I thought she was going to cry when she heard the baby's heartbeat. She looked incredibly excited. I'm glad that I took her today."

"I can understand her excitement", said Morelli. "I wish that I could have taken you so that I could have heard it myself."

I looked at Ranger, and he smiled and looked at Morelli. "I won't be able to go to all Steph's obstetrician's appointments with her in the future", he said. "Perhaps, if it would be okay with Steph, you could take her to one and then you could hear the heartbeat as well. If you were interested, I know that Steph and I would like to share that with you. It really is something special."

"The doctor wanted us to go for another ultrasound in another three weeks, and go to another doctor's appointment in another four. I set the doctor's appointment for the week before our wedding. I wanted to talk to you before I booked the ultrasound appointment, just so that I could make sure that you are free."

"Did the doctor think that there was a concern, for him to be sending you for another ultrasound?" asked Ranger. His face paled.

I walked over to him and slid into his arms. I tiptoed up and kissed him on his cheek. "The baby is fine. The ultrasound is routine, done to judge the sex of the baby, the growth of the baby, and to more accurately predict the date of delivery." He looked at me, worry in his eyes. "Don't worry", I said. "I'm okay." I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on.

There was a silence in the kitchen as Ranger got control of himself, then Morelli said, "I've read that the mother is accurate in predicting the sex of the baby about seventy-eight percent of the time."

I kissed Ranger again and turned, in Ranger's arms, so that I could see Morelli. Ranger's hands wrapped around my waist as I stood in front of him, my back to his front, and he kissed the back of my head. "Really?" I said.

"So, the question is, what do you think you are having?"

I thought for a moment. "I think I'm having a girl."

Morelli smiled. "Josephine is a lovely name", he said.

I laughed. "So is Tia Rose Manoso, and that's what her name will be if it is a girl."

"What will the baby's name be if it is a boy?"

"Lucas Alejandro Manoso. Ranger's Aunt Tia and Uncle Alejandro were influential people in Ranger's life. I have only met them over video conferencing, but they seem like fabulous people. I'm looking forward to meeting them at the wedding. Ranger's mom has organized a family dinner in lieu of a shower, and that is taking place the Friday before the wedding is to take place."

"I look forward to meeting them as well. Do they live in Newark?"

"No", said Ranger. "They live in Miami, which explains why Steph hasn't met them before. I look forward to introducing her to them. Aunt Tia will be thrilled if we have a girl and name her after her."

"Where does the name Rose come from", said Morelli, "if the name Tia comes from your aunt?"

"Rosa is the name of both Ranger's grandmother and his sister. It's another family name and we want to honor his grandmother."

"You didn't pick Edna?" said Morelli with a smile.

I laughed. "It wasn't the feel that I was going for", I said. "Besides, Tia Rose sounds pretty. Tia Edna doesn't roll off the tongue quite the same."

Morelli smiled. "I get where the name Alejandro comes from, but where does the name Lucas come from?"

"Both my father's and my grandfather's middle name was Luca, and Ranger's mother's name is Lucia. We would be honoring all three of them in the baby's name."

"That makes sense. But if you decide to change your mind, Joseph is still a good name."

I laughed again, and I could feel Ranger's smile as he kissed me again on the back of my head.


	22. Chapter 22

Ranger and I got ready for bed, and I dressed in another one of my maternity nighties. I slid into bed and moved to the center. Ranger turned off the light and climbed in beside me, and he rolled to the center and gathered me into his arms. He buried his nose in my hair and just breathed, and I could feel the tension dissipate in his body. Ranger had been more touchy-feely that evening than he had ever been before, and he was one of those people who greatly enjoyed touch to start off with. I knew that he was still recovering from me being in danger and I didn't know how to make him feel better.

I flipped in his arms until I was facing him. I gave him a kiss on his chest and wound my arm around his back. I rubbed my hands up and down his spine. "I might not be up for our record of six times tonight, but I definitely could do one."

Ranger smiled and, as he peppered my face with kisses, he said, "you won't fall asleep on me?"

I gave him a deep kiss. "I guess it is up to you to make sure I don't."

Ranger kissed me back, and when we broke apart he said, "it sounds like the gauntlet has been thrown down."

"Are you up for it, buddy?" I dropped my hand into his pants and started to stroke.

"Oh, I'm definitely up", he said. "Around you, I'm always up, ready, willing and raring to go."

I laughed.

I was right. We didn't set a new record, but we did make a reasonable showing at twice. I fell into an exhausted sleep after our second time and slept through Ranger getting up the next morning. I did, however, wake up when he was gone. I got up and used the washroom and, when I lay down and started to worry about Ranger, I decided that extra hour of sleep wasn't important. Rather, instead, I thought it would be better for me to get going for the day. Didn't they say once that diversion was the best solution at times?

Ranger was due back in an hour, so I jumped in the shower and washed, shampooed, conditioned and shaved. I was glad that I could still reach to do the shaving. I had heard that it became much more difficult as your stomach grew. I hated hairy legs, and rather thought that was one of the bad things about pregnancy. I could deal with the nausea and the weight gain. I could deal with the sleepiness and the backaches. I wasn't sure if I could cope with the no-shaving thing. That seemed like a lot to ask.

I got out of the shower and dried off and dressed in Ranger's housecoat, moisturized, dried my hair and put on makeup. Since we were having the meeting with all the senior staff, I put on full makeup - BB cream, blush, eye shadow, mascara and lip gloss. I knew most of the senior staff, but I didn't know all the people in the support and administrative divisions. I wanted to make sure that I didn't embarrass Ranger. I didn't want people to think that I was hired into the position because I was Ranger's fiancée rather than because I could do the job, and I was afraid that people would think that if I showed up to the meeting looking like a slob. I also wanted to show that I took being a member of the senior staff seriously. This would be my first senior staff meeting.

I got dressed in a gray printed stretch jersey dress with a high wide neckline and three-quarter sleeves. With the side tie to adjust to my size, it was the perfect dress to wear. It looked serious enough to be formal work wear, yet was also extremely comfortable. I thought it would look good with my ballerina flats. While I was all for dressing up, I thought Dirk and Miguel would look at me funny if I wore heels as well.

By the time Ranger returned from the gym, I had already started work for the day. The senior staff meeting was at ten, and I hoped to have completed another Slayer review by then. After doing the Slayer the night before, I only had four left to do and I wanted to get them done by the end of the day, and to have the summary report done by the end of day on Saturday.

Ranger looked surprised when he returned to the apartment and I was up. "Everything okay, babe?" he said.

"Yup. Just trying to get this Slayer report done. I only have four more Slayers to do."

He came over to me and gave me a kiss. He was dripping in sweat.

"Did you have a good workout?" I asked.

Ranger smiled. "Yeah. I went for a long run and then I worked on the heavy bag and then, when I finished with that, Tank came in and we sparred for a while. I was glad I got up early so that I could have an especially long workout."

"What time did you get up?"

"Four-thirty."

"Why so early?"

"I had a nightmare and woke up at four. I cuddled you for a while but had too much energy to settle. I figured it would be better for me just to get up and go to the gym rather than lie there being upset."

"I am very glad that you are seeing Gabriel today."

Ranger sighed. "I am as well. I know that there were a few missions that I needed to see a therapist afterwards but because I was in the field I couldn't see one. The nightmares eventually went away, but I always thought they might have gone away sooner if I had been able to work with a therapist. That's one of the reasons I provide a psychiatrist on staff. I know from personal experience how important therapy can be."

"I'm glad that you understand that. There is still a stigma associated with mental health. I think, however, by providing a psychiatrist on staff you are shattering that stigma and that's a good thing."

"Mental health is so important, and returning vets aren't known for having great mental health."

"That's true."

"I need to shower."

I wrinkled my nose. "Yeah, you do", I said.

Ranger laughed like I hoped he would, and he left for the bedroom. I heard the shower go on seconds later and, when I heard the shower go off again a couple of minutes after that, I poured Ranger a coffee and carried it into the bathroom. I sat on the closed toilet seat and watched him shave.

When he finished his last swipe of the razor and had washed off the remaining flecks of the foam, he looked at me and smiled. "I didn't tell you how good you look", he said. "That dress really suits you."

"Thanks", I said. "I wanted to pick something close to Rangeman black, but the only suitable black workwear I have is a suit, and I thought that was too formal for today."

Ranger smiled. "Gray works, but why did you want to dress up?"

"I didn't want to embarrass you and I wanted to look like I deserved to be there."

"Why wouldn't you look like you deserved to be there? You have earned the right to be in that meeting."

"I don't want people to think that I've been given that position because of nepotism. I want people to think that I have earned that position due to skill."

"Babe, you have been given that position because you are the best researcher I have ever seen. If people think that you have been given that position because of nepotism, they can think that. However, I know, Tank knows, your staff all know that you've been given that position because you have earned it." He looked at my disbelieving face. "Do you not agree with me?"

"I don't know. I look at Dirk and everything he can do, and I think that he would be better in the position."

"It's true that Dirk is better at analyzing spreadsheets, but you have an instinct that you can't teach him. You instinctively know where to look when you are searching for information, and you can find things quickly and easily, things that would take Dirk much longer to find. Analyzing spreadsheets is only a part of what you do. You have to find the spreadsheets first to analyze, and that's what you excel at." I looked down at the floor in indecision, hoping that Ranger wouldn't notice the tears that were threatening. He put his finger under my chin and angled my face up. He took in my threatening tears and kissed me tenderly. "Babe, I picked the right person for the job. Don't worry so much about it."

"If you ever think that Dirk or someone else would be a better person in the job, promise me that you'd demote me and put that other person into the position."

"I promise you that I will." I smiled. "But I can tell you right now that it won't be happening. I am very happy you are the director." He looked at me and must have decided that he should change the subject, since he said, "I heard from Jeanne Ellen's lawyer yesterday. She is trying to sue us for discrimination because she didn't get the job working in your department."

"How does she figure that?"

"I have never understood how she figured that she deserved to be hired. After all, the people we hired have so many more qualifications. We have had Emmy contact her lawyer to offer her the position as a security guard. We have said that it is the only position she is qualified for."

"Was she a good bounty hunter?"

"She's like me. She's good at capturing people but her capture plans that she creates aren't as good as yours. She takes a while to capture people."

"I take a while to capture people as well."

"You take a while because, although you find them readily, for whatever reason you often take two or three tries before you are successful at capturing them. Jeanne Ellen captures them the first time around, but it takes her longer to find them. This means that she takes just as long as you to capture the people."

"Who does she use as backup?"

"No one. She isn't a team player and doesn't work well with others."

"I can see why Les wanted to replace her. If she isn't any better than me at capturing people, he would do well with having a team that is more effective."

"You really do produce the best capture plans. The patrol guys have said the same thing. They said that you can always find the felons and they very rarely have to go into your second suggestion of where to look. They have said that, at least ninety percent of the time, they have been able to find the felons at the first place you have identified."

"That's good. What are you planning on doing about Jeanne Ellen? You're just going to offer her a job as a security guard and hope that she'll go away?"

"That's the hope, but also in the legal response included with the job offer is a list of the people in the research department and their qualifications. I'm not identifying names, but I am identifying the qualifications of the people involved." Ranger opened the bottle of shea lotion and dotted some on his skin. He closed up the bottle and started to work the lotion in.

"So you are talking about how Gwynne has her master's in library science?"

"Yes, and how Emily has her computer science degree, and Dirk is an accountant and the two new people are accountants."

"What are you saying about Miguel and I?"

"Miguel and you have a background in bond enforcement and corporate research. You have a strong working relationship with the different police departments and you can navigate the internet and use our in-house search engine with ease. You are more qualified than Jeanne Ellen for those reasons."

"She doesn't have a good relationship with the police?"

"No. You are one of those people that everyone likes. Hell, even your skips like you, and some of them purposely skip on their bail just to see you again. Unlike you, Jeanne Ellen doesn't have a lot of compassion. She isn't warm and fuzzy and she doesn't get along well with others. She isn't a team player, and she is arrogant about her abilities and thinks of herself as being better than others. She is the complete opposite to you."

"She must have some redeeming qualities. Why did you go out with her?"

"Honestly?"

I nodded.

"She impressed me with her athletic ability. More importantly, however, I went out with her because you were going out with Morelli and she was a complete opposite to you."

"Pardon?"

"I've been in love with you since I first met you, but you were going out with Morelli and I thought my chances of getting together with you were non-existent. In a spate of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to go out with Jeanne Ellen to try to exorcise you from my soul. I couldn't, however. No matter how hard I tried, Jeanne Ellen wasn't you and I got frustrated with her conceited attitude. It was the final straw when she tried to force me to hire her. I was already tired of her by that time."

Ranger finished rubbing the shea lotion into his skin and walked out to the dressing room. He pulled a black pair of fatigues and a black Rangeman long-sleeved t-shirt from the shelves and started to dress.

I looked at him and, as he finished putting his pants on, I grabbed hold of his waistband and pulled him in to me. "I love you", I said. I kissed him on his smooth cheek and then moved to his lips. I kissed him deeply before pulling back. We were both breathing heavily.

"I love you as well", said Ranger. He kissed me again and his hands roamed as his lips explored my mouth, and just when it turned interesting Ranger's alarm went off. He stepped back and smiled a half-smile. "Apparently it is time to wake you up."

I smiled at him. "You can wake me up like that any day", I said.

Ranger laughed and finished getting dressed.


	23. Chapter 23

The senior staff meeting was interesting. Ranger and Tank and Nate did a good job at presenting the information. They talked about the plans for expansion – not the potential acquisition, but rather the work that they had found in other cities and the need to develop relationships with other service providers, and they presented their plans and timetable with the move to the temporary office space for the administrative and support services. They went over their need for staff and asked people to refer people that they thought were particularly good. They talked about the areas that Sales was concentrating their marketing on. They congratulated everyone on the good work that they had done over the last year and talked about their annual review and the work that all the directors were required to do to complete their departmental review. Finally, they presented the template that we were to use and told us where to find it on the server, and they told us that Tank and Nate would be setting up individual meetings with each of us to go over our departmental plans. Ranger and Tank and Nate were patient with the many questions, and you could tell from what staff said that they felt appreciated and respected. I didn't have a lot…okay, any…experience with corporate senior meetings, but my view was that it was a good meeting.

The only uncomfortable time, at least for me, was when Erwin, the new Director of Purchasing, raised the question about dress code. "I get why Operations staff have to wear uniforms", he said. "I don't understand why Administrative and Support Staff all have to wear uniforms as well."

Ranger smiled. "All Rangeman staff are required to wear uniforms, from Reception through to me. It's a part of working here."

"Stephanie doesn't."

There was a shocked silence in the room, and my face flamed as everyone turned and looked at me.

"Steph is pregnant, and her wardrobe is limited", said Ranger. His face took on his 'not happy' look. "I'm not requiring her to wear a uniform for that reason. When Steph isn't pregnant, she does wear a uniform."

"But it's not fair", said Erwin.

"That may be", said Ranger, "but the last I checked, they don't make fatigue pants in a maternity size. If you ever become pregnant, you'll get an exemption from that rule as well. Next question?"

Erwin subsisted into a resentful silence, and Ranger looked at Bob for a moment. Bob looked furious. I think that Erwin might have been the only person in the room who didn't know that Ranger and I were a couple. Bob looked at Ranger in an apology, then looked at me and mouthed 'I'm sorry'. I nodded once in acceptance. Leo, who was standing behind me, reached down and squeezed my shoulder in support, and Hal, sitting beside me, leaned over and whispered, 'it's okay. His view is not the norm."

Dave was on the other side of me, and he leaned over after Hal and said, "no one else either notices or cares what you wear."

Hal smiled. "Our shirts don't come in a maternity size either", he said, "and I'm sure Ranger doesn't want all the bellies of his shirts stretched out."

I laughed. It would look a little ridiculous if Ranger wore a stretched out shirt afterwards. He was so flat that it would be really noticeable.

"Besides, you are wearing gray. That's the same as light black, isn't it?" said Leo behind me.

I laughed quietly, and Ranger looked at me and smiled. "Don't tell me that you are one of those people that think of pink as being light red", I said to Leo.

Leo laughed. "You mean it isn't?"

The meeting concluded and Ranger caught up to me as I left the meeting room. "Don't pay attention to Erwin", he said. "Bob will straighten him out."

"I just don't want to think that I am getting preferential treatment."

"You aren't", said Ranger. "I will give a bye to any staff member who is pregnant. I know that staff may not like wearing a uniform all the time, but I like having that unified front to the company. I have tried to make the uniforms as comfortable as possible, but there is comfort in wearing a uniform and it makes dressing in the morning a breeze. If people don't like that about their jobs, they are perfectly welcome to find work somewhere else. However, in this company we wear uniforms."

"I always thought that staff liked that."

"Those that come from a military background often excel in having a uniform to wear and represent. It comes from their background. That's one of the reasons that our uniform is fatigues and t-shirts. It is similar to that worn by soldiers. Our dress uniform of a black suit and a black button-down shirt is provided to all staff who go to client meetings and court. You have that option since you'll be going to court from time to time. Our security guards wear a variation of that on a day-to-day basis – with a Kevlar vest rather than a jacket and with a badge on the upper sleeve identifying the person as security staff."

"Should I buy a black blouse to wear with my black maternity suit to go to court? I have that hearing coming up for Rebecca." I had helped in the arrest of Rebecca at the beginning of November. She and her father and her uncles were trying to oust the current head of the mob here in Trenton. During this process, Rebecca started going out with Morelli and believed that he was in love with her. She tried to kill me. It was a real threat, since she had the means and know-how to kill me and the desire to do so. She believed she was protected from being arrested because Morelli was in love with her. She was wrong. After she confessed to me, Morelli charged her with attempted kidnapping and attempted murder. Although she was out on bail, neither Morelli nor I had seen her since the arrest.

"No. The dress you are wearing now is suitable to wear to court. Just wear it with your black blazer and you'll be fine", said Ranger. He leaned down again and whispered in my ear, "did I tell you how sexy that dress is on you?"

I smiled. "You might have mentioned it once or twice."

Ranger smiled and dropped a kiss on my nose. "I have to go", he said. "I have that meeting with Gabriel."

"I'll be in the apartment afterwards if you want to talk", I said. "I'll grab a couple of sandwiches and salads from the break room so that you have something to eat before you go back to work for the day."

Ranger smiled, kissed me again, and left the meeting room for the staircase.

I, however, waited for the elevator with the other people too lazy to take the stairs. The doors opened and I jammed myself into the car. At the second floor, a few people got out. The rest of us got out at the fifth floor, and I walked down to the break room and picked out sandwiches and salads and dressing for Ranger and myself. I returned to my office. Dirk and Miguel were working hard, and they looked up and smiled. "How did the meeting go?" asked Miguel.

"Good", I said. I told them what had been said, the direction the company was moving in, and told them that I wanted them to review my departmental plan when I had completed it. "It will be reviewed by Tank prior to it going to Ranger, and I will probably get Ranger's help when I am preparing it. However, I think having you two look at it as well will be helpful. I hope to get it done by the end of Saturday, so if you could look at it on Sunday I'd greatly appreciate it. I hope that your review will take less than fifteen minutes, but I'd really like to be able to meet with Tank about it on Monday and get that portion of work done and out of my hair. Then I can concentrate on working with you to train Gwynne and Emily."

"They are starting on Monday?"

"I have booked them both to arrive at eight-thirty. I've instructed them to come to Reception and ask for me. We'll be working out of the small conference room on the first floor until the office space opens up on the second floor. That should happen in another two weeks. It will be a bit difficult at first when we switch over to the second floor, just because we will be struggling with staff placement, but I think it will work out okay. I went over the plans for the space allocation with Ranger last night, and we'll be taking the space that was formerly the accounting department. You two will be sharing an office, I will have an office, and the rest of our staff will be in the open area outside our offices. We will be using existing furniture and the temporary office staff will be getting their new furniture early, which is good for them, but they won't have any offices to use which is bad for them. They will all be out in an open area."

"Will they have cubicles?"

"No, because as much as possible we don't want cubicles once the renovations are complete either. Ranger and Tank and Nate all feel that cubicles detract, both visually and practically, from people's collaboration. They are going to try to run the departments without cubicles clogging up the sightlines and will only put them in if they are deemed necessary. Those who are currently in the administrative and support services don't currently work with cubicles and have been successful. However, Ranger says that he understands that people need some sort of barrier and division between the different departments, and he wants to use plants instead to make dividing lines. He believes plants make the department a much nicer place to work, and are calming and help clean the air."

"They are a tasteful addition to an office", said Dirk. "I am also glad that we won't have cubicles. I agree with Ranger in that it makes a nicer place for people to work."

"I agree", I said. "Where are we on our research projects?"

"I am almost finished my due diligence work", said Dirk. "I should be finished that summary report by about three this afternoon and, if I could get you to review my report as soon as it is complete, I could send it off to my contact by the end of the day."

"Sounds good. Phone me when it comes in, and I'll review it right away. When it's complete, can you start the corporate review for Pearl Security?" Dirk nodded.

"I'm still working on the company set-up", said Miguel. "I'm looking forward to having Gwynne and Emily start next week. My feeling is that we are behind in our employee research. However, I am up to date on researching our own potential employees and I have kept up to date in client maintenance. I have been able to complete the police searches, and I am up to date on the capture plans."

"I have five more capture plans for Vinnie that came in yesterday, and Morelli said that he has another three searches for us to complete. He just hasn't been giving them to us so that we focus on the Slayer research."

"How is that going?" asked Miguel.

I told them about the Slayers' interest in what was being done, and the subsequent threats to kill me. "I am just about finished doing the research. I hope to be finished it by the end of the day, although I might be a little overly optimistic about that, and I hope to have the summary report sent off to Morelli by the end of the day tomorrow."

"Is there any way we can help with that?" said Miguel. "I mean, Dirk has his hands full with the mutual fund research, but I can easily be taken off client set-up to help you."

"Thanks, but I think I'd like to do it all myself. If I do, I'll have a better idea as to the consistencies in the cases, and a better idea as to what to look for."

"Okay, but don't work too hard. Remember we're here to help", said Miguel.


	24. Chapter 24

Ranger joined me in the apartment half an hour later. "How did it go?" I said.

"Good. I think I am still processing everything. I have appointments set for every Friday at lunch for the next four months. Gabriel said that it's easier to cancel appointments than it is to book them, so he penciled me in."

"I'm glad you are meeting with him. I don't need to know what you talked about, but are you happy with what was said?"

"I found it hard to open up. I'm not used to talking about my thoughts or feelings. I do with you and I do with Tank, but I don't really talk to anyone else and I found during my appointment that I don't share as much even with you as I could."

"I know you don't. I try to respect your privacy. It's a part of who you are."

"Yes, but it's eating me up. I'm trying so hard to be strong for you, strong for my family, strong for my staff, and Gabriel says that I don't have to be, and that I can be strong and talk about my feelings at the same time."

"That's true. I talk about my feelings all the time with you. Does that make me weak?"

He grinned suddenly. "No, but you're a girl. You're so supposed to talk about your feelings."

I snorted. "That's the biggest pile of bullshit that I have ever heard."

Ranger sobered. "I believe in everybody else talking about their feelings and sharing in their experiences. I just have trouble accepting that I need to."

"What makes you so different from everybody else?"

There was a silence for a moment. "That's what Gabriel said as well", he said finally. He picked up his turkey and stuffing and cranberry sandwich and took a bite. He chewed and swallowed. "I'll try to talk more, babe. I'm not very good with it, but I'll try to talk more."

I leaned over to him and kissed his shoulder. "Okay", I said. "I'm always here to listen."

We ate in silence for a moment. "It's just that I always say that worry is an unproductive emotion", he burst out with.

"I know."

"But I worry about _everything_."

"I know. But you are right in that it can be unproductive. You, however, don't let that happen. Yes, you worry – but you use that worry to help you take actions that avert disaster, that protect people, that grow your business. You don't get caught in the cesspool of worry and spin round and round without any resolution. You use your worry to help you be proactive."

He thought about that for a moment. "I just want to be the best person I can be."

"There isn't one person in this company who doesn't kiss the ground you walk on…well, maybe Erwin doesn't, but the rest of the staff all do. And they do that because you are a good person, because you are a valuable person, and because you are everyone's role model."

"I sign their paychecks."

"Every single staff member would happily take a bullet for you. That kind of loyalty can't be bought with a paycheck."

"I've just found it hard. I have the PMC business that I worry about. I worry about doing a good job and training people so that they are prepared to do their job, and I worry about being away from Rangeman, I worry about missing something important in my company because I am out of town in Colombia and, more importantly, I worry about being away from you. I think it will be a good move to retire from there. Like with the army, it's time."

"How did you start PMC anyway?"

"When I was in the army, there were missions that needed to be undertaken that were outside our mandate and scope. There were a few people in my platoon of Rangers who were all up for retirement around the same period of time. We decided to start PMC to do all those missions. We talked to command and they supported us. So when we retired, we got some jobs through the military. I worked a lot for PMC at first, and split my time between Rangeman and PMC. I was out of town about a week out of every three, and I left Tank to run the business in my absence. We started with one platoon of men but our success became known in the military, and the CIA, the FBI and the DEA heard about us – and then they started to hire us. By that time, we were up to four platoons and instead of hiring from retired military personnel we were starting to hire new recruits as well. PMC is now a fairly large company of one hundred and seventy staff, headquartered in Colombia. Like Rangeman, they have grown rapidly."

"Will you miss it?"

"You know, I don't think I will – and that tells me more than anything else that it is time for me to leave. It never pays to have a complacent team leader, and my heart just isn't in it any longer."

"What else do you worry about?"

"The company. Rangeman is growing fast, and I worry that it is growing too fast. I worry that our service standards will degrade from our rapid growth, and like with what is happening to the research department I worry that we are taking on too many clients to handle. I worry about our staff getting overworked. Now that I'm not reviewing the staff timesheets, I don't have a good feel for how much time people are working or how overworked they are."

"Why don't you get the departmental heads, when we submit our timesheet summaries, give a percentage of billable time spent? If a department is consistently one hundred percent billable, you will know there isn't a lot of wiggle room to handle more work and they therefore should hire more staff. However, if they are running about fifty percent billable, then you will know that there is room for growth."

"That's the problem. No one is running at fifty percent billable."

"That's true, but it would allow you to focus your hiring practices. Justine can't focus on the whole company at once."

"Do you think the departmental heads would mind?"

"Not at all. It's a simple calculation that we can add to our spreadsheets and would take seconds to do." I paused. "I don't think you need to review individual time sheets like you did in the past, but you could briefly look over the departmental summaries each week. That would still give you an accurate feel for how the company is doing. I'm sure IT could have the spreadsheets automated to produce that sort of report for you."

"That's a good idea." Ranger finished his sandwich and opened his salad, poured on a bit of the dressing and took a bite. I don't think he was even tasting it. "I worry that I'm not being a good employer."

I looked at him in shock. "Why?" I said. "Your employees are very happy, and many people have told me that this is the best place to work that they have ever seen."

"Employment is a two-way street. Yes, the employees work for the company. But it is a symbiotic relationship and the company has to work for the employees. I worry that I'm not providing enough of what my employees need."

"And that is why you are a good employer. You care. However, I don't think you need to worry. Your employees are happy and supported in more than just professional ways."

"That's what Gabriel said. He said that I take the time to support my employees, but I don't take the time to support myself."

"I can see that. What did he suggest that you do about that?"

"He said that, if I was planning on buying out Wes, I would need to learn how to delegate more. He suggested, if this sale goes through, making Tank an Executive Vice-President and giving him more responsibility in the expansion, and perhaps promoting Hal up into the Vice-President's position. He suggested giving the Directors more responsibility, especially with the system designs. He said that I have hired the best of the best for a reason and I now just have to let them do their jobs without supervising what is being done all the time. He said that I need to decide what is more important to me – growth of my company or hands-on involvement in all the client accounts. His view is that I can't have both without burning out."

"What do you think about that?"

"I think I have some thinking to do."

I smiled.

"He said something interesting. He said that everyone has four legs of their personal table – family, friends, work and spiritual. Those four legs hold a person up and, if the person is balanced fully, those four legs will be equally as strong. I have a strong family leg, and I'm developing it further with our marriage and our baby. I have a strong friends leg and, now that I am getting to know some of your friends and am expanding my friend base, I am working on that leg as well. I have a very strong work leg and, if I am growing my company, that leg will grow even stronger."

"So are you saying we should start going to church?"

"No. Gabriel said that it doesn't have to be a formal religion. It could just be a belief in the goodness of life. And I believe in that very strongly. The point is that I have all the aspects needed to be healthy mentally and happy and successful."

"I sense a 'but' in there."

"Not really. It's just that the only leg that is stable right now is my belief in the goodness of life. My family is changing – for the better, but it is in a state of flux. My friends are changing – again for the better, but again they are in a state of flux. And my work is changing, whether that is just through the reorg or through the acquisition of another company, I don't know. But I do know that it is changing and I haven't decided yet if it is for the better or not. Gabriel said that the source of my stress is the fact that so much is changing right now."

"So maybe it would be better to pass up Wes's company and take some time to catch your breath?"

"Finding another company like Wes's to buy won't be easy, however. It might be better just to bite the bullet and recognize that everything is changing."

"True. Dirk is going to be finished the mutual fund inquiry by three today and will start researching Wes's company. The more information you have, the better prepared you'll be to analyze whether this is a good opportunity for you."

Ranger nodded. "That would be helpful, thanks." He paused as he finished his salad. "Gabriel asked me what a typical week would be like for me and, when I told him, his comment was that I did very little for me. Yes, I worked out every day and I eat meals with you, but that's all I do for me. I never really realized how many hours I worked in a week."

I laughed. "That's what I've been saying. You work more hours in a week than I do."

Ranger looked abashed. "It's easy for me to see that you work too many hours. It's harder for me to see it in myself."

"I see it."

"Gabriel asked me what I liked to do, and I said hanging out with you and working out and cooking and hanging out with family. He suggested that I spend an hour a day above and beyond my time I spend working out, at least, doing just that and to gradually increase the amount of time I spend on doing something for myself. He said that I have a stressful job and that he'd like to see me de-stressing for at least three hours a day, and he also said that working out doesn't count, since I also do that for my job, although working with you in the gym does since I do that as a togetherness thing to spend time with you."

"What do you think about that?"

"I think it's a good idea, in theory. In practice it might be a little more difficult. It's something to strive for, but I will need your help."

"Sure – whatever you need. How can I help?"

"I was thinking that we could stop work in the evenings on Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays. Even if we just take a couple of hours to watch a movie together, or to go out on a date. We haven't gone out on a date in a long time."

"That sounds like fun. You're right. We haven't dated much."

"I've been so happy being together with you that I haven't cared as to whether we go out on formal dates. That isn't fair to you though. You deserve to be romanced."

"I don't need to be romanced. I just need you."

Ranger finished his salad and looked at me. His lips quirked up in that half-smile I loved so much. "I just need you too", he said. He paused. "I love you so damn much, and I guess I have told you all that to ask you to be patient with me. I'm working on things. It will just take me some time to figure out."

I finished my salad and looked at him, leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."


	25. Chapter 25

When Ranger left, I knuckled down to do the last of the Slayer investigation. If I wanted to take the evening off to spend time with Ranger, I would need to condense about nine hours into six. If I had a very productive day and I was extremely lucky, I thought I might have a chance at getting it all done.

By the time the day was over, I just had the analysis left on the last Slayer. I had already done the search on him and only needed to go through the search results and come up with some conclusions.

Ranger came up to the apartment, walked through to the den, and smiled with embarrassment. "I'm not very good on this plan to take the evening off", he said. "I still have about another hour to do on my work before I quit for the day."

I smiled in relief. "So do I, but when that hour is up I can take the rest of the night off."

Ranger smiled. "I'm glad you don't mind. I just want to finish reviewing this company. It's a new client that is interested in hiring us, and I was hoping to get you to analyze them this weekend. It's a huge client, and they are interested in the whole shebang. Guards, system design, installation, monitoring, firewalls, everything. They are out of Burlington here in New Jersey, but they have sixty different locations across the US and have thousands of employees. The only service we offer that they don't want is a current employee overview, which is great for your department. They will, however, want all new employees to be researched for security risks. That will be a big chunk of work just in itself. I have a meeting with them on Monday. If we could bag this client, it will have an enormous impact on our bottom line. It will be fabulous for the company."

"That's great. How did they hear about us?"

"Honestly? Two places. The first is through our work at MoMA. They heard that we had done the design work on the system used there. The second place, which seemed to carry more weight, was that the President of the company heard about Ase, and was looking into the program to see if he could implement the program in Burlington. Somehow he got a list of the Board of Directors, and he recognized our name from the people on the list. He called me to talk about Ase, but he also started talking to me about what we did. He said he liked our values and morals as a company, and he would like to work with people as honorable as us. He sent over some information after I talked to him this afternoon, and we made arrangements to talk on Monday morning."

"That sounds good. I'll do that research for you this weekend."

Ranger's face lightened. "Thank you", he said.

He sat at his desk and turned on the computer, and minutes later he was knee-deep in his work. I smiled as I watched him for a moment, then turned back to my work and found that I had lied. It actually took me another two hours to complete my work – but that was okay, as it took Ranger three hours to complete his.

Ranger shut down the computer as he finished, and he looked over at me. "Are you ready for dinner?"

I smiled. "It smells good. It smells like chicken noodle soup, fresh bread and a fruit salad for dessert."

"How can you know that? Fruit salad doesn't even have a smell."

I laughed. "I peeked the last time I went to the washroom."

Ranger smiled. He came over to the sofa and pulled me to my feet, then walked with me to the kitchen. "Let's go out for dinner tomorrow night", he said.

"That would be nice. Where do you want to go?"

"What about that seafood restaurant in Newark that we went to on our first date?" said Ranger. "It was actually six months ago tomorrow that we went there."

I smiled. "You remember the date?"

"Vividly. You wore that hot little black dress. I remember the before, during and after."

"I can't wear a hot-looking black dress this time."

"Babe, you look hot in whatever you wear."

I smiled and thought that Ranger had to be the most supportive man that I had ever met.

"Should I make reservations for seven?"

"Sounds good to me."

"I'm planning on having lunch with Tank tomorrow. It's been a long time since we've gone out for a bite together."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Tank and I are also meeting in the gym at six-thirty for a sparring session. I decided to sleep in a bit."

"You know, for most people six-thirty is not a sleep-in."

Ranger smiled. "If I could sleep to six-thirty, that would be wonderful. Lately I've been waking up at five even though my alarm doesn't go off until five-thirty."

"What do you do between five and five-thirty when you are lying in bed?"

"I just cuddle you and let the peace of the day wash over me. I meditate and take the time to be thankful for everything that has been given to me. And I worry about things." He smiled self-consciously. "The amount of time that I worry about things is much greater than the time that I take to be thankful for everything that has been given to me, unfortunately."

"You're going to give yourself an ulcer."

"I know. Worry is taking over my life, and I know that it is."

"But you aren't letting yourself fall down into the pit. You are doing something about it. You are turning your worry into a productive action."

Ranger smiled. "Thanks for being my cheerleader."

"As you told me once, when I needed a cheerleader, everybody needs one sometimes. It's just my turn to cheer you on, rather than you always cheering me on. It's nice to be able to return the favor."

Ranger smiled, kissed me lightly on the lips, and turned to the stove. "If you want to wash your hands", he said, "I'll dish up dinner." He washed his own hands and got out some bowls and, after I washed my hands, I got out a breadboard and a breadknife and some butter. I sliced a couple of pieces of bread and put the board between our two seats at the breakfast bar.

"When Mellie is living with us", I said, "we'll have to sit at the dining room table. There won't be enough seats at the breakfast bar for the three of us."

"That's true."

"What do you want to do tonight?" I asked.

Ranger smiled.

"Besides that", I said. "That goes without saying. I might even be able to stay awake for three times tonight."

Ranger laughed. "I'm not counting on it", he said. "You didn't have time for a nap today." I made a face. "Seriously though? I know that you've been pinning pictures onto your Pinterest board for the different rooms in our new apartment, and I was wondering whether it would be okay for you to show them to me. I have seen some of them, but I don't think I have seen them all and I would like to envision the rooms the way you are envisioning them."

I smiled. In my spare time, I had been pinning pictures of things that I liked to a board. I thought there were some good ideas in them, but I hadn't had a chance to show them to Ranger or to talk to him about them. He'd just been too busy. "That would be nice."

Ranger put the bowls of soup on the breakfast bar as I poured glasses of milk, and we sat down together and started to eat. It didn't take us too long before we were finished, and Ranger laughed when he saw the pleased look on my face as he pulled an aerosol can of whipped cream out of the fridge when he pulled out the fruit salad.

"I didn't know that Ella sent up whipped cream", I said.

Ranger smiled. He pulled a package of blondies out of the freezer. "You always said they taste better frozen, didn't you?" he said.

I grinned. If I had known that there were blondies and fruit salad for dessert, I might not have had any soup or bread. "I can have several of those", I said. "They have eggs and flour in them. They're healthy."

Ranger laughed at the expression on my face, retrieved some bowls and spoons, and divided the fruit into the two bowls. He handed me the container of whipped cream and put the package of blondies on the breakfast bar. He sat down, and I sprayed a generous helping of whipped cream over the fruit. "Mmm", I said. I gestured to the whipped cream. "Dairy. Healthy."

Ranger smiled. "I think I should bring the can of whipped cream to our bed tonight. I could make you look at me like you look at that fruit."

I grinned. "Somehow, despite the fact that you like me eating you, I don't think you would like me taking a bite."

"True. And unlike the fruit, I don't need cream. I produce my own."

I laughed. "Funny enough, if you eat me I produce my own as well."

Ranger grinned. "We'll have to practice our cream production tonight."

I laughed. I could hardly wait.

When we finished dinner, we cleaned up the leftover soup and bread, and I put the leftover blondies on a plate and carried them into the den. Ranger settled on the sofa at one end and I sat beside him and cuddled into his side. I picked up my laptop and woke it up, then clicked into my Pinterest account. I had divided the board into different rooms, and I went through each room and showed Ranger the pictures. He liked almost all of them, nixed a couple, and agreed that the apartment was going to be gorgeous.

In each of the rooms, I had included something that made that room special. In the nursery, I included a shiplap wall. In Julie's room I included a brick wall. In Mellie's room I included wainscoting, and in our bedroom I included a fireplace and a stone surround, and a trayed ceiling. Ranger liked the color combinations I had picked and the kind of furniture I had selected.

"What color do you want the baby's room?" he asked.

"That depends. Like I showed you, the room that I was considering for the nursery would have a medium brown shiplap wall and, if it is a girl, I found some beautiful 3D flowers that you can attach to the wall in pinks and creams. I thought they would look nice on the wall above the crib. I haven't figured out what to do if it is a boy. To tell you the truth, I haven't really put too much thought into it if it's a boy. I'm just so convinced it is a girl."

"Tia Rose."

"I think Tia is such a pretty name, and I love the way Tia and Rose go together. It sounds like tea rose, which is why I want some of them at our wedding."

Ranger smiled. "I was thinking that, if we have time before our dinner reservations, perhaps we could go to the mall and buy some baby clothes."

I grinned. I hadn't noticed it before, but Ranger hadn't been as available to me as he was right then. Yes, we had talked and we were still each other's cheerleader. But we hadn't taken much time to plan. We had planned for the company and we'd planned for the apartment build, and we'd planned for our wedding, but we hadn't planned for our personal future past the date of the wedding. It would be fun buying baby clothes with Ranger. I had been dying to do so before but thought it might be a bit silly knowing that I was only through my first trimester. However, if I was doing it with Ranger, it would be more about sharing and planning our future together than it would be about outfitting our baby and that, to me, seemed like a wonderful idea.


	26. Chapter 26

We left for the restaurant an hour early and, despite leaving so much time to buy baby clothes, we were able to get a lot done. Ranger had a two-hour sparring session with Tank and had done some work with him in his office before going out for an extended lunch with him. When his lunch ended, he came up to the apartment to work for the afternoon. On my side, I was able to get the work for Morelli completed and sent to him, have a phone conversation with him where I confirmed my theory, finish doing my review of the due diligence work that Dirk had been doing for the mutual fund company, and do the first draft on the departmental review report for Tank. I hoped that Ranger would help me with it the next day.

As we drove to the baby clothing store, I said to Ranger, "I finished the review on the Slayer case. There is a definite divide between the number of cases that were thrown out before Gavin's daughter's death and the number of cases afterwards."

"Did you phone it through to Morelli?"

"Yes, and Morelli told me that he had talked to Gavin and he'd talked to Peter, the other cop who had recently moved to Arizona. He talked to Peter first, and Peter said that he had been threatened personally and his family had been threatened several times. The day the Slayers took his daughter from the school and delivered her home about an hour later – perfectly safe, but the threat was there – mixed with the day before when they broke into his house and took all the pictures of his family and cut X's in their faces, scared him. He hadn't been willing to tamper with the evidence but he didn't feel that he had much choice. It was either tamper with evidence or see his family killed. He tampered with the evidence but also quit the force and moved to Arizona. He was really freaked out by what had happened. So Morelli went to Gavin and asked him whether he had ever been threatened. Gavin admitted that he had. He said that he had been threatened prior to his daughter being killed and, when his daughter was killed, the Slayers told him that his daughter's death was his fault and, if he didn't want his son to also die, he would do as he was told. He had then transferred his job to working in the evidence locker and had been tampering with evidence ever since. He said that the other officers were either threatened and, if they didn't themselves recant their stories, he would personally 'lose' their evidence. He also said that he had kept each piece of evidence at his house and that he had documented which piece of evidence went with what, and he could give it to the TPD again so that the cases could be reopened. Morelli said that he cried and asked him whether it could now be over. Morelli has a signed statement from Gavin telling of the corruption and the influence the Slayers have had on the policing system."

"It was a tough situation for Gavin to be in", said Ranger. "If my family was threatened, I might have done the same thing."

"I don't know if you would."

"You are definitely my Achilles' heel. I don't know what I'd do if you were threatened."

"You'd figure out a way to protect me _and_ see justice served. Like Peter, the way might be as drastic as moving almost to the other side of the country, but you would figure out a way to protect me but still do the right thing."

Ranger parked in the parking lot outside the mall, and waited for me as I got out of the car. He locked the door and captured my hand, and we walked through the parking lot to the mall together.

As we approached the mall, two cars drove up containing far too many people for the number of seatbelts in the car. Youths poured out of the cars and surrounded us, and I reached down and pulled my phone out of my purse. Tyson appeared to be the ringleader, and he pointed a gun at Ranger as he turned to me. I looked down and hit record on my phone. "I told you to back off on your investigation or people would be hurt. You didn't back off, so now it is time to hurt someone close to you."

My hand shook. "That wasn't precisely what you said", I said. "You said I had to stop the investigation or I would be silenced permanently. You didn't mention anything about anyone I love being hurt."

"I have found, in the past, that hurting someone close to you is more effective than killing someone. I don't want to put you out of your misery. I want to punish you for talking, and to get you to rescind your testimony."

"I hate to tell you, but if you do something to Ranger I won't be in any mood to rescind anything. In fact, I would do my utmost to ensure that you would be going down. Besides, it's already too late. I finished the investigation today and have submitted my report."

"I could get you to rescind the report."

"No, you couldn't. The report is out of my hands now." I saw, out of the corner of my eye, that Ranger was moving closer to Tyson. I decided to keep Tyson talking and hopefully too busy to notice that Ranger was getting within striking distance. But as I watched him, my heart leapt into my throat in terror. I didn't want anything to happen to Ranger. He was my life.

"You could say that you made a mistake."

"It wasn't my mistake to make. All I did was pull information from the internet and accumulate it into one report. I did searches and looked up all the different Slayers who were involved and pulled together information on each person, and then presented the information in a report. It doesn't matter what I say in court. The information is out there and it is irrefutable. There is no way for me to recant my statement."

Ranger reached Tyson's side and quickly grabbed the gun and twisted it out of Tyson's grasp. Twelve other youths pulled their guns and pointed them at Ranger and one youth, in his exuberance, thought he had a shot and pulled the trigger. The gun discharged and Tyson yelled out in pain. "Fuck", he said, and then he passed out.

Ranger stashed the gun in the small of his back and eased Tyson down onto the ground. He rolled him over and saw the bullet hole that went straight into Tyson's lung. "Fuck", said Ranger. He turned to me. "Call the paramedics. Tell them we have a gunshot injury and that he doesn't have long to live. Call Morelli and let him know what happened. And call the control room to let them know that we are okay."

I pulled out my phone and called dispatch and told them to order the ambulance quickly. I gave detailed directions and my phone number for further directions if the ambulance couldn't find us. I called the control room next and told Eduardo that I couldn't talk long on the phone and explained why, and then I called Morelli. "Hey", I said.

"Hey. I thought you were going out for dinner with Ranger tonight?"

"We were, but we've had a little incident."

"What happened?"

I told him about Tyson and the twelve other youths and, as I talked to him, I could hear him grab his wallet and keys, put on his winter jacket, tell his dog to sit and stay – which of course Bob didn't do – put on his boots and walk out the door to the car. "Keep talking", said Morelli as I paused to gulp in a breath. "What is the situation like now?"

"Ranger is on the ground trying to save Tyson's life and twelve friends of Tyson's are all pointing their guns at Ranger."

"Fuck."

"I'm hearing that a lot lately." I said goodbye and hung up.

"Lady", said one of the gangbangers, "get off the phone. We've had enough of your talking. Our leader is going to die because of you. At least you can show some respect."

"First of all, I wouldn't be on the phone talking if you hadn't decided to threaten me with a gun. Second of all, your friend wouldn't be lying on the ground dying if you hadn't decided to shoot him. That's all on you, not on me. I was just planning on going to the mall to look at baby clothes, and then go out for dinner with my partner. You are the ones that stopped me from doing that."

The paramedics came screaming up and stopped beside us. "I'd put your guns away", I said. "The paramedics are allowed to refuse treatment if they feel that they would be in danger to offer that treatment, and I would think that having a gun pointed at them would qualify to them as being in danger. They are perfectly in their rights to refuse to help." I didn't honestly know whether it was within their rights or not, but I thought it would be a good idea for me to throw it out there.

The gangbangers all hurriedly hid their weapons, and the uniforms arrived as the paramedics got out of the ambulance. They grabbed the stretcher and ran over to us, but just as they got there, a bubble of blood leaked out of his mouth and Ranger, who had been monitoring his pulse, started chest compressions. The paramedics took over, but by the time the Morelli showed up five minutes later they had determined that the coroner should be called.

The gangbangers started to sidle away as they realized that Tyson was dead, and the kid who had shot the gun was sobbing uncontrollably. Morelli came over to me. "What's going on?" he said.

"The kid on the ground is Tyson Billings. He was shot by the kid who is crying. I think it was a mistake. He was trying to shoot Ranger. Tyson and his gang must have been following us from Rangeman, as when we walked towards the mall they surrounded us. They were driving those two cars over there", I said as I pointed to the cars.

Morelli immediately punched in the license plate numbers to the precinct and asked for a search for them. "They look awfully new for a group of kids", he said.

"That's true", I said. "When the youths surrounded us, Tyson held a gun to us. No one else had their guns out. I talked to Tyson as Ranger got close enough to disarm him. He did and, as he was grappling with Tyson, the crying kid shot Tyson. Ranger put Tyson on the ground and started doing first aid and the rest of the youths all stood around and watched. When the paramedics arrived, they started doing CPR but have called for the coroner. They tried to stop once, but the youths all pulled guns on them and told them that they should continue doing chest compressions."

"What did they want with you?"

"They know who I am from picking them up when they were skips. They want me to rescind the report. I have a voice recording of what was said."

"That's great, thanks. Did you explain to them that rescinding it wouldn't work?"

I nodded. "I don't think they believed me."

One of the gangbangers, obviously deciding that Tyson was truly dead, thought it would be a good idea to leave. He plucked at a couple of the kids' winter jackets to get them to move, and he headed towards the cars.

"You'd better move fast", I said.

Morelli moved to intersect the youth's trajectory, and several uniforms moved to block off the cars. "I want to take everybody in", said Morelli.

"What for?" asked one of the youths. His voice was full of attitude, but I could hear the uneasy undercurrents in his voice.

"I have a report that all of you pulled a gun on Ranger and threatened to kill him. I am booking all of you as accessories to murder and, as I learn more, that may be upgraded to attempted murder. Out of all of you, one lucky person will be charged with murder. I need all your guns so that I can test for ballistics." He nodded to the uniforms and the officers captured the youths and put them into cuffs, and took their guns away from them and bagged them for evidence.

The coroner showed up and pronounced Tyson to be dead, and the paramedics stopped doing CPR with a sigh of relief. Ranger talked quietly to them for a moment and clapped them on their shoulders. They smiled tiredly at him as the coroner brought the stretcher over.

Ranger walked over to Morelli and me. "How is everything going over here?" he said. I was starting to shake from the cold, and Ranger stood behind me and pulled me into his body. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me on the top of my head. I didn't know how to tell him that no matter how much I appreciated his warmth, it was my legs that were cold. My pencil skirt and nylons didn't provide much protection against the chill.

"I'm arresting everyone. I talked to my captain earlier today, and there is an internal investigation being conducted on the missing evidence. Both Gavin and Peter have come forward with official statements. Gavin is being put on paid leave until this issue is all cleared up." His phone buzzed, and he looked down. "Both the cars are stolen." He looked back at us. "I need to take these guys into the precinct. There is no reason for you to stand out in the cold. Can I come by later and get a witness statement from each of you?"

Ranger let out a quiet huff of laughter. He kissed me again. "I think we've missed our reservation time anyway", he said.

"Do you feel like a burger?" I said.

Ranger smiled. "McDonald's it is."

"Don't worry. A Quarter Pounder has cheese on it. It's healthy."

Ranger groaned.

_~ The End ~_

_Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it. The next story in the series is Fiesta 35, which I will start to post today. – Sarah _


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